Tattoo: An Illustrated Miscellany

A beautiful and intriguing album of tattoo equipment and ephemera - modern electric tattoo machines, ivory-handled tools for tattooing by hand, inks marked 'Commercial Road', flashcards, portraits, prints and signs - much of it from private collections, specially photographed for this book.

'Beautiful, inspiring and informative' - Bidisha

London tattoo legend Lal Hardy reveals the fascinating hidden world of tattoo, past and present.

With a wealth of previously unpublished photographs, details and anecdotes, Tattoo preserves many unique and valuable items of tattoo culture, including:

Historical stencils and flash
Customised machines, traditional hand-tools and animal-marking equipment
Collector's cards, bubblegum cards and transfers
Memorabilia and tributes relating to tattoo legends such as George Burchett and The Great Omi
Postcards, toys, ornaments, T-shirts and other merchandise
Supply catalogues, magazines, books and art
Rare ephemera - awards, badges, business cards, convention passes, postage stamps and hand-drawn signs

LAL HARDY was born in London in 1958. He opened New Wave Tattoo in north London's Muswell Hill when he was just twenty-one years old. Lal is part of an international community of highly respected tattoo artists. This is his sixth book.

MATT LODDER is an expert on body art and body modification. He is the author of Tattoo: An Art History and is Director of American Studies at the University of Essex.