Joe and Mabel Darpel

Bert Grimm tattooed Joe Darpel from head to toe. Before Bert settled in St. Louis, he worked with Darpel at several different locations. Joe then took his Bert Grimm body suit on the road and worked as an attraction and tattoo artist for such outfits as the Greater Alamo Show in 1921 and the Wortham Show from 1925 through 1926.

Joe met his wife Mabel, who was a knife-thrower in the show business world, and by 1927 they were teamed up and tattooing together. Over the years they worked in Junction City and Kansas City, Kansas and Fort Worth, (see business card) and Waco, Texas. Joe and Mabel tattooed Jack Rose, and their work is seen in photographs 734-736 of Bernard Kobel’s tattoo collection. Many sheets of Darpel’s beautiful flash have survived and are prized by collectors worldwide. Seen here are a couple sheets.

A 1940s ad in Billboard Magazine listed Joe Darpel’s supply business along side the likes of Milton Zeis and Owen Jensen. At this time Darpel was only selling Pelican Black ink, #12 sharps at $5.00 per thousand, and tempered sterling silver for contacts. His address was Suite 222, Victoria Hotel, Norfolk, and 10 VA. It is unknown if he ever expanded his line of tattoo supplies.

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