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Ted
and Pearl Hamilton
This husband and wife team worked
the circus and carnival circuit
during the 1920s and 1930s.
The Hamilton's are well known
partly because of the tattooing
that Percy Waters did on Pearl
Hamilton, who was sometimes
billed as "Mrs. Ted Hamilton."
Pearl, as shown here, nicknamed
Smitty, was also known as "The
Tattooed Doll." She had, perhaps
the world largest peacock back
piece. Most of her pitch cards
show her in a backless dress that
maximized the effect of the tattooing.
The Hamilton's probably worked
the sideshows together, with Pearl
working on stage with other attractions
and Ted on the mid-way with a portable
tattoo set-up. Ted, a right-handed
tattooist, had worked with Milton
Zeis on flash ideas for The Zeis
Studio.
Ted often worked in a small canvas
tent with his flash hung from the
support rod of the tent and his
tattoo case set-up on a small wooden
platform at the back of the tent.
The platform was to keep him and
his gear up out of
the mud; it was barely largeenough for two
chairs and tattoo case. His case
was spartan but complete and probably
involved little time to set up
and break down. When the Hamilton's
were not on the road they could
be found at #503 Sixth Street in
Peoria, Illinois.
Tattoo Archive © 2002
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