TATTOO. 1730s-1970s. Henk Schiffmacher's Private Collection

This book is a comprehensive overview of more than two centuries of tattoo history, featuring an intimate look at the lives of tattoo artists and their personal struggles and triumphs. It includes 700+ images of tattooing from around the world, including indigenous tattooing, ancient traditions, and old-school Western tattooing. The author, Henk Schiffmacher, has amassed a vast collection of tattoo drawings, designs, photographs, and artifacts over the last forty years.

Format: Hardback
Length: 440 pages
Publication date: 27 November 2020
Publisher: Taschen GmbH

This book is a captivating blend of history, art, and memoir, offering an insightful overview of over two centuries of tattoo history. It delves into the lives of tattoo artists, showcasing their personal struggles, triumphs, occupational hazards, and artistic courage that have shaped this remarkable journey. Henk Schiffmacher, a passionate collector for the past forty years, has dedicated his time and resources to amassing an extensive collection of tattoo drawings, designs, photographs, and artifacts from around the world. Each of the book's five chapters features a plethora of never-before-seen highlights from this collection, including lithographs, etchings, tattooing instruments, paintings, photographs, posters, shop signs, original drawings, and tattoo designs known as flash. Among these rare treasures are extremely rare vintage flash sheets from prominent figures in early Western tattooing. The book's 700+ images capture the vastness and diversity of tattooing across the globe, showcasing indigenous tattooing practices of the Māori and South Pacific islanders, ancient traditions of Asia, and the origins of old-school Western tattooing in Europe and the United States. Additionally, the book includes a dozen original illustrations by Schiffmacher in his distinctive style, accompanied by a personal introduction that sheds light on his journey as an artist and collector, which has profoundly influenced his perspective on the arts' journey from the underground to the mainstream. Schiffmacher's unique perspective is further enriched by his personal reflections and thrilling tales of adventure, providing readers with a deeper understanding of tattoo history while also delving into the adventures behind the creation of one of the world's largest tattoo collections. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in art, history, or the captivating world of tattooing.

Weight: 6154g
Dimension: 330 x 468 x 63 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783836569354