The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-04
In New York
BY GEORGE ROSS

New York, April - When Pro- lessor Jack disappeared from his tattoo shop on South street, the boys who cover the waterfront sigh ed and said that the Art of Tat tooing was dead. For Professor Jack, a Rembrandt of the needle if ever there was, figured prominently in the trade. He held down the last of the tattooing shops on South street, where geafaring men meet.
 Professor Jack was in business for many years and his human murals arc probably visible today on brawny salts in every navigable sea. Why he vanished, no one seems to know except that the professor was once heard to speak of retiring.
 But while tattooists have de- prcciated considerably in number during the past few years, they are by no means extinct. Practi- tioners of this fleshly needle-work arc scarce but available in Manhat- tan where the boats come in. Some times they are situated in the back of the barbershops, the rear of pen- ny arcades and, as often as not, in the forepart of 8 lunch counter grogshop. There is nothing indeli- cate about that. Alexander Wooll- colt once reported that he saw a swinging sign say: Spaghetti, Light Lunches, Tattooing."
 They do not operate surrepti- tiously. It is easy to identify their studios by plaques like these: "Tat-2-ing" Have Yourself Tattooed = Beauty That Does Not Fade :. Professor Rafael Rem- brandt D. T. The Only Honest Skin Game in the World" or by the following poem, generally used outside skin-puncturing par lors:
 By electrical means, without pain Your pure epidermis may gain From head unto heals
 If the idea appeals |.~ Decorations of which you will be
 vain.
 Stick to Craft
 But while Professor Jack may have given up the ghost, there are still few of his fellow-old- timers around the wharves.
 Over on Park Row, Frank Graf celebrates his 17th year as tatooist. Even he cannot begin to recall a portion of the pictures he's done on muscles and biceps. but of one spec tacular job, he is perenially proud That was the time he sketched the physiognomies of six United States presidents on the fair skin of Yady Viola, a circus sideshow queen, and then topped the portraits by etch- ing a noutline of the Capitol dome on her back. The remainder of her anatomy, he devoted to non-political subjects. He drew the faces of ten movie stars on her arms and her legs are given over to Babe Ruth Charlie Chaplin, Tom Mix, Ben Turpin and other screen romancers hear that she lately applied a por- trait of Franchot Tone.
 His contemporaries will, no doubt concede that Frank Graf now oc- cupies Professor Jacks throne Those of the clan who still survive near the water fronts also include Sailor" Joe Van Hart at 16 Bowery or Professor Ted of 42 Bowery who, in off season, paints Must Va cate signs for haberdasheries or Bob Wicks of Chatham Square who also dabbles in oil paintings which he places on exhibition at Greenwich Villages al frescoe shows or Andy SturtZ, who convinces his customers of tattoo's aesthetic charms by showing them a'full view of Buffalo Bill galloping over the plains that is depicted across his back Nudes, by the way, are no longer fashionable.
 Although in decline, the tat tooer's are is not dead yet. Not while sailors still put to sea and come back to port.
 Personal Patter
 Personals and Such: Edmund Lowe is the shyest of the movie stars during his public appearances in New York.
 Dashiell Hammett is the physi. cal counterpart Of his famed char acter, "The Thin Man"
 Lillian Hellman, who wrote "Thl Children's Hour" and it's screen yer. sion, These Three" is comely enough to be the leading lady ir either one.
 | Rudy Vallee sported the bruiset nose he received at the fist ol George White as late as last week.
 Your correspondents choice as thu funniest radio comedians: Colone Stoopnagle and Budd.
 It was Walter O'KeeGe who start cd the song vogue with 'The Dat1ni Young Man on the Flying Trapexes. No coaxing can get him to sing | lnow.