, 1881-11-20
TATTOOING AS A TRADE.

| the newspapers.
TATTOOING AS A TRADE.
| Tho Men Tint Like to Sec Figures on
Their SkIn-De~!"us 3io>t Popttiur-
L Talk Will. = u OLD Operator.
Nrr Fork Tribuae.
Alongside the door Of a house in Oak
street is Il framed sign bearing All eaboratcly-
executed and -yiyiuly-coioreu Goddess Of Lib
crty, with the equally =larinsly tinted words
underneath: "Tattooing Done uere by Mar
tin Uilurbrandt."
Ascending Il narrow stairway and turning
to the right the reporter found himself i'll Il
small room. ln4uiring :or tie owner of the
sign, the reporter was told that he was at
present tattool,u. 4 1nall, but would be done
directly. Under TIE impression that the re-
porter WAS customer, the woman who had
given the information handed him book
which she said contained the designs her
husband WIS capable OF executing On the
human epider,ilis.
The buok wits curiosity in itself. It con-
tained about fifty crndeIy-execntc.l and high
ly-cuorcd drawings ailu designs. There were
Gut(desses Ut Liberty in prOfnsoll, Of all
sizes and styles. the coats of arms OF the
United States, England, France, Germany.
Spain, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, anu Russia;
anchors and chains; 4 fnll-riggeu nlall~of-
war firing of :, canlaon; shlps Of all kinds;
the flags Of different nntionalities; ballet
girl with Il very short skirt and very lnuscu-
lar limbs; Venus; Wiliow-s1rrounded
tomb with the words My Mother" Oh its
face; butchers knife and clearer crossed;
blacksftitf1's hammer and t0ngs; llerinaids
sitting OH a rock playing Oil Tyre; Ma6onic
cn,ifeinS, burning hearts, eagles, lions. etc.
Underneath each design was The cost Of hay
lng it executed. the prices ranging from 20
ccnts tn S.. 1t was evident that tile custoll-
ers Of the slIou preferred realistic pictures to
:1legorlcAl hints, as Il heart pierced By all
arrow cost - cellts. while the design Of i
jaunttiy-clah sailor embracing short-skirted
ftfttHle cast 81
While The reporter was still admiring these
"works Of art. the '';rtlst" himself entered.
lie is siort thick-set man some 80 Years of
age. lie was very willing to give lnforna-
tlON concerning his peculiar trade. Seeing
his book Of designs in the reporters hands.
he llasteneu to assure him that "tlle!n's, not
all the designs kin make by good deAl;
l kin lattoo anything customer calls tor."
II suppose sailors are your chief custom
ers?''
"Oh no. Mechanics, tradesmen, and
'longsharelnen are tile class of men tlo most
OF NY t;.ttoOi1lg Oh. l 1haye customers frUm
all over the United States, Ill Kinds Ut people,
aud have even had gentlemen come to my
door i'll their private carriages. L aln the
only man III the city wllo has i permanent
PLACE Of business. There's an old fellow
who goes round among the sailors on the
docks, but his trade is,l't big.''
- y hat 1t signs art the most popuiar?',
We'll. that arcortlin= to taste or !ioDby'
American sailors like Gud dhesscs OF Liberty.
sailt1s Of other nations tine coAss-of-aruis Ut
their country. AN Indian waving Il toma-
hawk is Il great favorit with solllc tars, Then
I've put many knives and cleaverst tn butch
ers'art1ls, hammers and tonHs I'll blacksnitis.
Masonic eMblelns are always IN demand.
Sometimes there are sailors who want the
initials Ut their sweethearts' names put Oil
their arms. Sometimes men WHO nave bee1l
Tilted by their girls attsrWafH aye tnelr
SVnle OF the fellows who used to ran wild
der machine in old volunteer tire-iepart-
niellt days, have had me put pictures OF
fireman with i speaking trumpet At the
mouth Gii their hands OF forearm. ounS
men have tile coats-ot-arn.s Ut their country
Or State put on. \ design OF 4 wi!lnw-snr-
rounded tomb with the words. TO tile
memory of my, mother,' is great favorit
with old nlcll."
l1ave you executed 4 number OF designs
on any one person.?
{. Yes. I've t:tltoocd one man from head to
foot. He has {; large ueS!g OF Washlngton's
lonlb on his breast, and smaller figures Of
flowers. leaves, etc, On the rest OF his per-
and got S4O !. week. Another man l allnoat
covered with pictures WIS Il Sbanlard about
50 years Of age. lie brought Ills own de-
signs witt, him, and these had PIT OIL him,
sftl!ef or larger than the pattern. .Ihey
were almost all Of Z religious character. On
his back l Put the Virgin Mary surrounded
by tllirty-ttlree angels. A large picture OF
the CructiSion | put on lis breast. Then
there was picture OF :. binu tnan leu ny i!
little. girl to the edge. Of prccipice: and
saved from fallins over BY MI angel Three
mcri!lads | 1attooed Oil one sidt. II rooster
and cat respectively on each shoulder, and
more religious figures OH lls arms
- Did he 90 i't the show business, too?"
'No. | aske, him il he Intended to do so.
but lie said no; then 1 asked him his reasons
for having llinseit tattooed all over, but he
wouldn't teti lste.n
- D" many buys come to you to be tat
..ssolietiues fathers bring their boys and
have tl.eir name or solle mark put u1l thenlf
81 that they can be recognized when stolen
or lust Il sea- Captain was lately drowned
i'll tile East Hiyer. and his body was only
sS WSca BY M Was a %i nS le rs xy on of s s
Potomac l put the nantes Ut hundreds OF
soldiers OH their arms ar breasts, and many
were recognized by these marks after being
killed or wounded. l. learnt MY business
board Of the frigate United States duriug
the Mexicah WAR"
What is the best time Of the year for
your work ~
THE winter, as the work dries quicker:
but Fin also busy III tl'e sumner, us there
seems to be more money around,'
s.WitIl what Ito you do the t:tooing?"
with six needles tied togeti1er in line, (
one much higher. than the others. The !
wounds are very slight, and heal in a few |
days. The Burmese are the only nation who |
now practice t,tsooing. They use a hollow |
instrument containing the lutIia ink, some. |
thing like one u them 'ere tDuntain-pens:"
- An India ink mark can never bt. erased?''
"No; it is impossible TO renove it. See |
here ''-showing his right hand, covered !
with the design of Il ship" had a gather- |
ing here suns time. ago. and put l.oultice !
o.l that ate away the skin-> When the new
skin came there WAS the design rs plain as !
ever. I'ye n,ada as much Us $50 in Que day. |
E've been in The business for the last twenty t