Lyle Tuttle

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Lyle Tuttle
Born Lyle Tuttle
(1931-10-07) October 7, 1931
Ukiah, California
Occupation Tattoo artist

Lyle Tuttle (born October 7, 1931) is a well-known American tattoo artist and historian of the medium, who has been tattooing since 1949.[1]

Biographical and career information

Tuttle was born in Chariton, Iowa in 1931 but grew up in Ukiah, California. At the age of fourteen he purchased his first tattoo for $3.50.[2] In 1949, he began tattooing professionally.[3] In 1954 he opened his own studio in San Francisco. This first shop was open for nearly 30 years. Tuttle tattooed Janis Joplin, Cher, Henry Fonda, Paul Stanley, and several other notable musicians and celebrities of the time.

He has been tattooed on six continents, and has never knowingly tattooed a minor.[3] He has become a legend and a teacher within the industry in the years he has been tattooing. He officially retired in 1990 but will still occasionally tattoo his signature on a friend or acquaintance. His fame within tattooing was somewhat controversial, as many tattooists of his day disliked his statements to the press and "shameless self-promotion".[1] When Tuttle was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in October 1970, Sailor Jerry put the picture inside his toilet.[4][5]

Tuttle currently teaches seminars in "Tattoo machine maintenance and machine building" at tattoo conventions around the United States.[6]

When asked what made tattooing gain in popularity during his early career, he responded:

"Women's liberation! One hundred percent women's liberation! That put tattooing back on the map. With women getting a new found freedom, they could get tattooed if they so desired. It increased and opened the market by 50% of the population - half of the human race! For three years, I tattooed almost nothing but women. Most women got tattooed for the entertainment value ... circus side show attractions and so forth. Self-made freaks, that sort of stuff. The women made tattooing a softer and kinder art form."[1]

[7]His first shop when working for Bert Grimm at 16 Cedar Way, Long Beach, CA. on "The Pike". After tattooing in Anchorage and Fairbanks, AK. and Oakland, CA., Lyle opened up shop in 1960 at #30 7th St., in between Mission St. and Market St., also referred to as South of Market, San Francisco, CA. As the story goes, the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Lyle tattooed at #30 7th St., San Francisco, CA. for 29 and a half years, until the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 caused the building to be "yellow tagged". He then moved to 839 and841 Columbus St., San Francisco, CA where he retired from tattooing. The shop is now closed but Tuttle owns the building (both addresses)and is planning to move his tattoo museum to the 841 Columbus Street location.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chuck Brank. "Lyle Tuttle: Forefather of modern tattooing (interview)". Prick Magazine. Retrieved 2006-12-24. 
  2. ↑ "Changing Point" Dialogue Talk.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Aaron Beck (May 13, 2006). "For tattoo master, every mark is special". Columbus Dispatch. 
  4. ↑ Inked Magazine - My Work Speaks For Itself
  5. ↑ Macleans - The end: Donald Paul Leslie, 1937-2007
  6. ↑ Sloan, Dave (November 2, 2011), "The Father of Modern Tattooing", IMA blog (Indianapolis Museum of Art), retrieved November 7, 2011 
  7. ↑ http://www.lyletuttle.com/history/1970-1990.html

External links

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