Tat’s All Folks
Whilst still sometimes considered unsightly and vulgar,
tattooing is becoming more widely acceptable in every
day society, almost like a a fashion accessory. It’s a
perfect way to complete your look and make a bold
statement with something both creative and personal.
While everyone’s motive for getting inked is different,
tattooing has a long and fascinating history. Chris
Lambert, a Fine Art graduate and tattooist at Black
Crown studio in the city is avidly keen on the history of
the art he participates in, making him an ideal person to
talk to about the origins of traditional tattooing.
Trends come and go, but one of the most popular styles
at the moment is for “old school” ink. These tattoos link
back to Post-War American culture with iconography of
Pin Up girls and Cadillacs as well as nautical themes
such as anchors and lighthouses. Although the style
was highly popularized in America, Chris explains that
traditional tattooing as we know it actually originated
in Japan. ‘I think it was for 500 years that Japan was
totally closed to trade, but it had a tattoo culture of its
own which developed and they were doing large scale
body suits, stuff that was far more advanced than any
of the other Hawaiian Islands.’ It wasn’t until military
intervention in the 19th Century which saw US Admiral,
Matthew C Perry lead to the opening of Japans trading
gates. This introduced the Western world to a new
tattooing culture which sailors quickly tried to emulate.
This military involvement has shaped tattooing history,
with the association between the armed services and
tattooing almost becoming synonymous.
It’s culture in the United Kingdom however had very
different connotations. ‘There was actually a tattooist
that was on Jermyn Street which is a street down from
Saville row and is really famous for shirt making and
shoe making. It was like an invitation only shop, you
had to know someone who knew someone to get in
18
there and tattooing was a really high end thing that was
super expensive.’
‘The association between the
armed services and tattooing
are almost synonymous’
After a mass emigration of tattooists to New York, tattoo
culture started to spread around the world. The man
who played arguably the largest part in defining the
traditional tattoo style however was a man named Cap’
Coleman. ‘He was the first person that did heavy black
under sh ading and the thick black outline because
in the olden days a lot of the ink would fade, it would
only stay in the body for maybe five years and it would
disappear… and he knew this. He knew that if it had
black under shading and a thick black outline it would
always look good and you’d be able to tell what it is.’
Another name highly associated with traditional tattoos
(and Whiskey) is Sailor Jerry. ‘He very much idolised
Coleman when he was getting into tattooing but now
when we think of traditional tattoos we think Sailor
Jerry.’ While Sailor Jerry has become a key figure in
traditional tattooing, it is Cap’ Coleman’s innovation
that could largely be attributed to why they are still so
popular today. “The best thing about them is because
of the style and how it’s tattooed and executed, it lasts
a lot longer than a lot of other tattoos; you could argue
that it looks better with time and aging. The traditional
style is kind of really bold and simple, with that heavy
black under shading, that’s one thing that the old guys
got right, they knew that that would hold and last.’
By Jack Zelenka
See more of Chris’s work at chrislamberttattoo.com
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