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J.R.
(Bob) Maddison
(1921-1985)
J.R.
Maddison, an Englishman,
started his tattoo
career in 1934
with the help of
his grandfather,
who was said to
have tattooed 40
years. Maddison
was known for carrying
his hand tools
in his waistcoat
and tattooing the
lads around the
back of the dance
halls.
In 1946, Maddison began tattooing
at the Newcastle town moor which,
at the time, was one of the largest
fairgrounds in Europe. The first
few years he worked out of a custom
built tent with a sign that read:
Renowned Tattoo Artist
J.D. Maddison
Electric Tattooing
In later years he worked out of
a caravan, not unlike a small Airstream
trailer. Maddison said that he
was so busy tattooing that at night
he had to remove the sign from
the front of their trailer so that
he and his faithful wife Lily could
get some sleep! For 15 years Bob
Maddison worked at this fair while
also tattooing at his home in Quebec,
County Durham, England. In the
mid 1950s he moved to Darlington,
County Durham, where he worked
until his retirement in 1979 due
to ill health.
Bob Maddison's tattooing was from
the era of the grand old school,
bold outline, solid color and American-European-Japanese
style images.
Throughout the years he must have
tattooed a lot of military personnel.
However, in a 1970s interview he
said that he did not tattoo military
badges or insignia stating that, "In
the last war when I joined the
territorial and war broke out you
were stripped clean of all badges.
You just went to war with your
number, rank, and religion, on
a necklace and a bracelet. Those
that had regimental badges tattooed
on them were running here there
and everywhere to get them covered
or removed".
Terry Wrigley said in a letter, "When
most British tattooers used a single
needle Bob did excellent work.
I dare say that apart from Rich
Mingins there was no one to beat
him. Then in the early sixties
he changed over to thicker outlines
and his work suffered".
Tattoo Archive © 1995
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