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Bob
Shaw (1926-1993)
Bob
Shaw was a beloved
tattooist who,
at the age if sixteen,
had a full set
of sleeves from
Bert Grimm. Bob
learned the art
of tattooing from
Bert, and after
getting out of
the US Army in
1946 Bob went on
to work with Jack
Tryon, Earl Brown,
Col Todd and many
others.
Following is a timeline of Bob
Shaw's life.
1926 - Bob was born June
22nd.
1934 - The future Mrs. Wanda
Shaw was born, February 13th.
1941 - Bob moved to St.
Louis, Missouri to live with his
older brother. Bob's first job
was a dishwasher just around the
corner from Bert Grimm's shop on
Broadway. Soon Bob was hanging
out at Bert's shop late in to the
night and couldn't get up in the
morning for his dishwashing job.
When Bob was fired from this job,
Bert gave him a part-time job helping
Julia (Bert's wife) with their
photo business. Bob asked Bert
to teach him tattooing and Bert
said yes. By September 1941, Bob
had done his first tattoo.
1942 - Bob was 16
years old and he already
had a set of sleeves by
Bert Grimm! Bob first met
Milton Zeis in 1942 at
Bert's shop.
1943 - Bob enlisted
in the United States Army
in October.
1946 - Discharged
from the Army in March.
1948-As Bob put it, "In
1948 I had the pleasure
of watching Coleman work."
1949 - Bert got
Bob a job in San Antonio,
Texas working with Jack
Tryon, who at this time,
was working out of a circus
wagon.
1952 - Tex Rowe
visited San Antonio and
stated, "Jack Tryon was
semi-retired and Bob Shaw
was working his joint."
1955 - San Antonio
was closed to tattooing
and did not open again
until 1975.
1958 - Bob worked
with Earl Brown in Biloxi,
Mississippi.
1959 - He worked
with Col. Todd in Clarksville,
Tennessee.
1960 - Bob moved
to Hopkinsville, Kentucky
to work with Col Todd.
1964 - Bob moved
to Long Beach, California
to work with Bert at the
Nu-Pike.
1969 - Bob bought
Bert's shop at #22 Chestnut,
Long Beach.
1972 - Larry Shaw,
Bob youngest son, started
tattooing at the Long Beach
shop.
1973 - Col. Todd
moved west where he and
Bob Shaw took over management
of Bert's Nu-Pike shop.
That same year when Bobby,
Bob's son got out of the
Army, Shaw and Todd opened
a shop in Santa Ana so
Bobby and a new guy on
the block Bob Roberts,
could learn to tattoo.
1976 - Shaw and
Todd bought Bert Grimm's
San Diego shop.
1978 - Shaw and
Todd bought Bert's Portland,
Oregon shop.
1983 - The Shaw
family moved to Aransas
Pass, Texas.
1983 to 1988 -
Bob was vice-president
of the National Tattoo
Association. 1989 -
Bob Shaw was interviewed
for Tattootime #5.
1989 to 1993 -
Bob was President of the
National Tattoo Association.
1993 - Bob died
on March 17th.
2002 - Wanda died
on April 26th.
Tattoo Archive © 2004
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