The Reviews

Spider Webb: Heavily Tattooed Men and Women   Softcover, ISBN: 0-07-068790-0, 1976 (out of print)

I was really pleased when the folks at amazon.com informed me that their rare book search actually managed to locate this book, which has been heading my "most wanted bodyart books" list for a long time.  The book begins with a preface by noted tattooist Spider Webb and an introduction by Marcia Tucker (who, as the back cover informs us, is - or was - Curator of the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York). In this introduction Mrs. Tucker turns out to be quite well-informed about the motives and history of tattooing and the intro is well-written and not condescending. Even if the final paragraph outlines "the aspect of freakishness" inherent in tattooing, this "freakishness" is made out to be a positive feature.  The book itself presents a selection of 100 photos from the fabled "Kobel Collection", a collection of pictures of tattooed people which Bernard Kobel put together and sold to other interested people through mail-order. The pictures are presented without any background information or commentary, merely page after page of tattooed people.  Due to the age of the original photos, the reproduction quality is - obviously - not as good as what we've grown accustomed to in modern bodyart books. This is more than made up for by the pictures' historic value. We get to see heavily tattooed (some more so than others) people, sporting imagery from the grotesque, the purely decorative through religious to patriotic motives. Looking through the photos, it seems that throughout tattooing history spider webs (no pun intended) were in heavy demand.  Many of the pictures are also present in other bodyart books, so they won't all be astonishing revelations.  As was to be expected, the photos show a large number of carnival attractions (male and female), and well-known people like the almost ubiquitous "Great Omi" is included, as is "the world's #1 tattoo fan" Elizabeth Weinzirl (sp?). One of the most astounding pictures is the one which is also on the cover, of what is probably a family of three, with a heavily tattooed man and woman (no, make that mother and father) and their son (presumably), who's sporting exact replicas of dad's tattoos on his chest and arms. One can only hope that this kid was one of the several circus "tattooed" fakes with the images painted on, otherwise he won't have been very pleased with the results once he finished growing.  All in all, this book has turned out to be a very interesting and worthwhile addition to my collection, simply for historic interest.  Now, if only someone would only publish the entire Kobel Collection (or at least let me look through it and copy the pictures I like).

Rating: 5 (10) (there are better quality collections of bodyart photos out there; for historic interest I'd give it 8(10))

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Madame Chinchilla: Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed   Softcover, ISBN: 0-9602600-1-3, 1997

In Stewed, Screwed & Tattooed, Madame Chinchilla takes the reader for a ride through her life as a tattooist (and, also, tattooee). This book is not an objective, high-brow scientific dissection of the tattoo trade - nor was it intended to be. It is a collection of personal anecdotes, stories, résumés and also informational pieces which Mme Chinchilla put together and garnished with a wealth of illustrations and photographs.  I found this book to be very entertaining reading. Unlike some other books on the topic, this one isn't filled with writing, it's filled with communication. While reading it, I couldn't escape the impression that Mme Chinchilla put a large amount of herself into this book - and that's not just in those articles in which she talks about herself or her tattooing, but in the way that all the individual pieces in this book are written: Sometimes witty, sometimes touching, often on a very personal level and always interesting.  The list of topics includes many topics also covered in several other bodyart books, such as the symbolism of tattoos, sideshow attractions, Japanese tattoos and the likes. But take for instance the section on "Tattoos as Symbols". Rather than finding a long list of "cats mean this, spiders mean that and Rock Of Ages means something entirely different altogether", we read about what Mme. Chinchilla's tattoos mean to her and how they came about (for instance, why she has her own name tattooed on her back) as well as interviews with other tattooed people.  The technical merits of this book include a very informative and complete list of illustrations (much, much more than the usual "Photo by XYZ, Jan. 1976") and an "errata" sticker in the front - also something you don't find very often (not that you don't find errors in other books, you just seldomly find people who put effort into correcting them).  I wouldn't really recommend this book for someone who needs to find scientifically correct and complete material on the art of tattooing from the Ice Age to modern days. But people who like to find out what makes tattooed people (or at least this specific one) tick, and who enjoys entertaining and enlightening first-hand experiences from both sides of the needle, really can't go wrong with this book. Does this make any sense to you? If it does, go out and get the book. If it doesn't, get the book anyway.

Rating: 9 (10)

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Margot Mifflin: Bodies of Subversion  A Secret History of Women and Tattoo   Softcover, ISBN: 1-890451-00-2, 1997

This book claims to be "the first history of women's tattoo art" and I'm in no position to dispute that. What would have been a bit more appropriate, though, would have been "women's tattoo art in the western world", since that's what the book focusses on (or limits itself to). There is almost no mention of tattooed women in so-called "primitive cultures" (where tattoos and other body markings often played a very important role in the lives of girls and women), nor in the Japanese tattoo history (both with the Ainu tribe and in the general Japanese tattoo history). The back cover lists the subject matter as "Cultural Studies / Women's Studies / Art". The "Women's Studies" heading should have been a dead giveaway. But more on that later.  The book starts off with the tattooed women in the sideshows of the late 19th century, goes through the "70's revival" and ends up at modern-day women's tattoos. I was extremely pleased to find a large amount of pictures which I hadn't previously seen published and to find additional background material on better-known and less well-known women in the tattoo field. Once again this book made me wish that someone, somewhere, would show a heart and publish the entire "Kobel Collection" for us collectors (I'd write aficionados, but I'm not sure I would spell it correctly ;-) ) to enjoy. The writing in this book is quite interesting and entertaining and quite well presented. At least in those places where it's merely meant to be informative.  What I found rather hard to stomach were the recurring stabs at a feminist (for lack of a better word) viewpoint of the tattooed women. Now, before I bring the collective wrath of women reading this onto myself, I don't intend to mock or ridicule feminism. It's just that I found the way that it sporadically resurfaces throughout this book very distracting (to say the least). Perhaps it's just that, as a guy, I don't get it. As an example take first the section on Cindy Ray, which states: "Ray [...] became the pawn of a photographer named Harry Bartram, who persuaded the 19-year-old office clerk to get tattooed [...]." (pp. 40f). The theme of the evil (male) photographer resurfaces in the section about Krystyne Kolorful (which, incidentally, I found to be very interesting, since it's the first time I've read more personal quotes from Krystyne about her tattoo work), in which it says "Like Cindy Ray before her, she way prey to predatory photographers [...]." (p.120). The section on Krystyne concludes with a mention of her having been sexually bused as a child and quotes her saying "Tattooing became a way to tell y secret. [...] The average person on the street would see my tattoos and think to themselves, she must have had a troubled childhood." (p. 121). Now, his one really had me stumped (and flabbergasted). Perhaps it's because I'm a guy, perhaps it's because I really love tattoos, but I simply fail to see the connection between a heavily tattooed woman and a childhood of sexual abuse. I won't even go into the trite juxtaposition of "Women at conventions generally wear revealing and sexually suggestive costumes" vs. "Male contestants wearing standard-issue wardrobe of saggy jeans and bare backs" (pp 162f) which Shawn Porter also mentioned in his review of the book. Maybe some of the ladies out there can enlighten me on the feminist viewpoint of tattoos (I'm not afraid to learn new things), but in my mind, the only -ism that can be seriously linked to bodyart is individualism.  Oh, dear. Now, somehow, I've turned this review of a book which I mostly enjoyed into a rant. And I guess that sums it up pretty well: As soon as I found myself enjoying the book and really settling into it, up comes another whack with the hammer and it's back to square one. But just for the wealth of new information and new photographs I'd have to recommend this book.

Rating: 7 (10)

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Tony Cohen: The Tattoo   Hardcover, 278 pages, ISBN: 0-949-155-22-5, 1994

I was very happy to find this book in London this year, after having tried to order it through local bookstores for quite some time. This book is a huge volume by tattooist Tony Cohen, which includes a lot of text and a large amount of photos and illustrations.  The book has the unavoidable chapter on "Tattoo: The Origins" and covers a large part of the bodyart world with chapters relating to everything from tattooed women, sideshow attractions, the Japanese art of tattooing, etc. Since Tony Cohen is from Australia (where the book was also published), some chapters are devoted to Australian tattoo fans and artists (including, of course, Bev Robinson, a.k.a. Cindy Ray).  The text in the book is very entertaining and readable and the illustrations and photos are well reproduced and interesting. It includes a fair amount of older photos, many of which I hadn't previously seen in other publications. My only gripe about this book is that it contains pages upon pages of tattooers' business cards as well as monochrome convention posters. To me, these aren't very interesting. But, all in all this is a very worthwhile book which I can really recommend.

Rating: 9 (10)

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Henk Schiffmacher: 1000 Tattoos   Paperback, 703 pages, ISBN: 3-8228-8592-4, 1996

This isn't a book, it's a brick. It really is a pity that Taschen chose to make this book a paperback, because the 700 pages make this quite a hefty tome, also suitable as an assault weapon.  The book contains just what the title implies: pages upon pages of tattoo photography, all taken from the archives of the Amsterdam Tattoo Museum. The book includes a preface in English, German and French and the photos are roughly subdivided into the chapters "Ethnographic Tattoos", "Classical Tattoo Designs" (basically reproductions of many old flash sheets), "From the early days to the 1980s", "Japanese Tattoos" and "Contemporary Tattoo Art". The reproduction quality of the photos is OK and there should be something in this book for everyone. To me the most interesting pages are the ones containing photos from the 1920s to the 1960s, including the familiar sideshow attractions and several private enthusiasts. The quality of the work displayed in the photos isn't consistent throughout the book. I somehow have the impression that Henk was going more for quantity than quality. Having said that, this is one of the books I regularly take off the shelf in order to browse through it again and again. Which brings me back to my initial complaint about the paperback format: Even though I try to treat my books very well, this one has suffered a lot, just from repeatedly leafing through it.  As a good overview over lots of styles and tattooed people, the book is good. And since it's not really very expensive (DM 39.90 in Germany, if I recall correctly), I guess I could recommend it.

Rating: 6 (10)

There is another review of this book online, written by Erik and posted to r.a.b.

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Amy Krakow: The Total Tattoo Book   Paperback, 225 pages ISBN: 0-446-67001-4, 1994

This book presents not only a good selection of bodyart photos, but also a lot of very well-written and interesting prose. It covers a large variety of tattoo-related topics, from ancient tattoo history to current tattooing trends, biker tattoos, tattooed celebrities and also permanent makeup techniques. While most of the book is in black-and-white, it has a number of color pages in the middle which contain nice tattoo pictures.  Also interesting are the interviews with tattoo fans and quotes from fans and artists. All in all, the book really is what the title says: An overview over all the different aspects of tattooing. And it's all very well written and entertaining. If you're looking for a book to inform your parents about tattoos and to answer their prejudices and misgivings about you getting tattooed, this book is the one to go for. And, of course, if you're a tattoo fan and are looking for a worthwhile addition to your collection, I can recommend this one.

Rating: 8 (10)

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Jeff Jaguer: The Tattoo - A Pictorial History   Paperback, 120 pages ISBN: 1-85265-100-8, 1990

This book contains black-and-white reproductions of old(ish) bodyart photographs. The pictures themselves are interesting and cover a lot of ground, from the interesting and beautiful to the strange and bizarre (but also interesting).  What really annoys me about this book is the attempt at witty commentary throughout the book, which at times verge on the derogatory (sp?). Examples? OK: "A broad canvas and no mistake! The tattoos were completed when the chap was both younger and thinner." (p. 74) "A posed picture of Cindy Ray taken in 1963. What looks like an ill-fitting wig is actually a hat!" (p. 87) "Into the sleaze of 1960s Soho, where this stripper is seen shimmying her strange selection of tattoos" (p. 73) "Standing alongside is William Grimshaw, an American tattoo artist from the 1880s, who is wearing what appears to be a pair of sawn-off curtains!" (p. 15).  What's that all about? OK, so clothing styles and tattoo styles change over time. I'm sure, given a chance, I could come up with a couple of snide comments about Mr. Jaguer's clothing style in the 70s. Bellbottoms, flared trousers, large shirt collars? Oh please! But why should I? And, then, why should he?

Rating: 7 (10) for photos; 2 (10) for commentary

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C. Bruno: Le Monde Etrange du Tatouage   Hardcover, ISBN: n.a., 1970

This is a strange book which I picked up in a second-hand bookstore in London recently. It's written by French tattoo artist Mr. Bruno and contains a lot of text (which I still haven't read entirely, since I can't read French as quickly as German and English), containing personal recollections of his work as a tattoo artist, accounts of his customers' wishes and many color photos of tattoos.  Since this book is from 1970, the quality of the work displayed in the book obviously isn't up-to-date with today's tattooing techniques and artistry. All the same, the pictures are interesting since the provide a good view of tattooing history. The book might turn out to be deterring to people wishing to follow today's tattoo trend, since it includes a chapter on tattoo removal with pictures of removed tattoos which are more than a little disturbing. The book also contains a large bibliography which I intend to look through to find more inspirations for my "wish list" at the end of this page.

Rating: 6 (10) (by today's standards; for historic interest I'd give it an 8)

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Housk Randall, Ted Polhemus: The Customized Body   Paperback, ISBN: 1-85242-522-9, 1996

A collaboration between photographer Housk Randall and anthropologist Ted Polhemus, this book presents not only black-and-white photos of the bodyart pieces themselves, but also small quotes from the people wearing them and several pages of introduction to each aspect of body manipulation. The subject matter of the book is not limited to tattooing and piercing, but covers many forms of changing your outward appearance, including bodypainting, makeup, hair style, masks, transvestism and transgenderism [annot: I'm pretty sure those last two nouns aren't correct; could somebody please educate me as to the correct forms? thanks].  The shock value of this book is not very high, when compared to other books (at least in my opinion), but that's what this book is all about: It presents those people who have, to quote the title, customized their body as "normal" and "regular" people (whatever that might mean) who simply have a different approach to their body and the way it is supposed to look. Another way of putting it is that there are no "freaks" in this book.  The well-chosen quotes included with the pictures support and strengthen the visual images, rather than distracting from them. The overall presentation of the book is also very good; the consistent layout and typesetting integrate the introductions by Ted Polhemus, Housk Randall's photos and the quotes from the people in the photos into a single very enjoyable unit.

Rating: 8 (10)

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Pauline Clarke: The Eye of the Needle   Paperback, 124 pages  ISBN: 0 9521175 0 9, 1993

Pauline Clarke, head of P.A.U.K., the Piercing Association UK, which also publishes the Piercing World magazines, took over this book project from Francis Highcliffe, as she tells us in the introduction. She completed the project and turned the book into a comprehensive presentation of tattoos and piercings as well as the people wearing them. Unlike the Randall and Polhemus book, this one does not form as cohesive a unit. The individual chapters in this book are put together in a rather random fashion, with a lot of overlap and no clear indication, in many cases, of why a particular article or picture appears in the one or the other chapter.  Putting aside the formalisms, I very much enjoyed this book and still take it from my bookshelf for a browse now and then - which is more than I can say for some of my other bodyart books. The book shows a plethora of bodyart images, informational texts and interviews. As the title would imply, the book's text focusses more on the piercing aspect of bodyart, while still a large number of tattoos and tattooed people are presented.  The photographic quality in this book is very varied, probably due to the several different sources of the pictures. The pictures range from artistic portraits to those of a more "handmade" or private type. The one picture from this book which stuck in my mind most was a very beautiful large portrait of Krystyne Kolorful, accompanied by a short text written by her.  All the articles, interviews and pictures make this book a very interesting read and very enjoyable. My main complaint about this book is its poor production quality. Probably as a result of returning to it from time to time, I am now left with a loose-leaf collection of pages, more or less held together by the book cover. Even though I pride myself on treating my books rather well, this one literally came apart in my hands!

Rating: 9 (10)

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Book Search

 I'm looking for the following items:

• William Granger: The Biography of Ethel Granger. Title: An Exclusive Production: A Guinness Record World Smallest Waist. The Biography of Mrs. Ethel Granger, By Her Husband - privately published.
• The Novelisation of the movie Tattoo, Screenplay by Joyce Bunuel