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San
Francisco
Tattooing
came to the California
long before the
white man, judging
from archaeological
remains it seems
that the first
people wandered
in to what is now
California 10,000
years ago. By studying
the languages of
the California
tribes at the time
of the European
conquest it is
believed that those
early tribes migrated
from northeastern
U.S., west central
Canada, and the
Great Plains. The
Ohlones and the
Miwoks settled
in the San Francisco
Bay around 4,500
to 5,000 years
ago and lived in
relative peace
for centuries.
The vast majority of the California
tribes tattooed both men and women,
although not necessarily with the
same design or on the same part
of the body or even for the same
reason. As a matter of fact groups
living only a ridge apart may develop
totally distinctive tattoo designs.
San Francisco's first European
visitor was Spanish explorer Don
Gaspar de Portola in 1769. The
first church, the Spanish Mission
Dolores was built in 1776, the
same year the 13 colonies declared
independence from England. By 1847,
850 people lived on the shores
of San Francisco Bay, and one year
later gold was discovered north
east of San Francisco at Sutters
Mill. With in another year the
population was 25,000 strong and
growing, by 1900, 342,782 people
called San Francisco home. Professional
tattooing probably came to San
Francisco with this rush of humanity,
and has not left to this day.
 The 1848 gold rush undoubtedly
put San Francisco on the world
map, but that was only one of three
major events that shaped this vibrant
city. Second was the opening of
the Panama Canal in 1914. The Canal
greatly shortened the sailing time
from the eastern United States
and Europe. Third was World War
II in the 1940s. Thousands of American
soldieries and sailors passed through
the city and later returned there
to live. In addition many civilians
came to help the war effort, and
remained as permanent residents.
With one of the largest natural
bays in the world, San Francisco
was shaped by it closeness to the
ocean. During World War II, San
Francisco became one of the world's
largest shipbuilding centers, thousands
of military personnel were stationed
in and around the city. This fact
alone may have more to do with
the strength of the tattoo business
in San Francisco more than anything
else.
Below is a short list of tattooists
that have inked in San Francisco
over the last 150 years. Probably
more have been left off than included,
but this list will give you a starting
point for more city research.
Berg, Tom - #537 Pacific
Broadbent, Betty - Market Street
Brooklyn Blackie #1034 Market Street
Brown, William - Unknown
Bruns, Curt - #1134 Market Street
Dennis, Dean - #30 7th Street
Diamond, Charlie-Seattle Hotel
Eddy, C.J. - #1116 Market Street
Hasberg, Adolph - #537 Pacific
Hense, Chick - #936 Market Street
Ingermarson, V.F. #725 Market
Street
Irons, Greg - #471 Broadway
Jones, Davy - #30 7th Street
Kame, Hori - #545 DuPont Street
Kaufman, Duke - #1138 Market Street
Kidd, E.C. - #4 Embarcadero
La Palma - #2535 Van Ness
Libarry, Andy - #1034 Market Street
Londella, J. - #430 Dupont Street
Martynuik, Pat - #30 7th Street
Morgan, Louis - #41 Market Street
Nelson, Chris - #936 Market Street
Painless Nell - #725 Market Street
Shusho, F. - #531 Grant Avenue
Steelman, Prof. - #553 Kearney
Steiner, Ray - #30 7th Street
Thornton, Fred - #1134 Market Street
Tuttle, Lyle - #30 7th Street
Valentino, Al - #1034 Market Street
Wetzel, Walt - #1071 Market
See The History of Tattooing in San Francisco in our online store.
Tattoo Archive © 1994
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