Double Exposure
In September of 2016, I went with some friends down to Lucky's Supply & Tattoo Museum in preparation for an art show "Brewed, Screwed, & Tattooed" that Lucky's was sponsoring and my friend's were producing.
Owner Jimmy Whitlock says this about Lucky's:
"Contained in the Lucky Supply Tattoo Museum is a collection of tattoo memorabilia and related materials dating back as far as the early 1900’s. It is my pleasure to be able to share this collection with the rest of the tattoo community and the world. The collection has been pieced together over many years, some purchased, and some donated with one thought in mind, keeping in tact some portion of the rich history of the fine art of tattooing."
The theme of the art show was all about the history, culture, and craftsmanship of tattooing, so It was natural for me to shoot some images while at Lucky's. I wanted to showcase the hand-made work detail on the vintage machines.
I went with high contrast Black & white film for a timeless look. I feel this works with historical pieces. I also prefer setting the film stock set the contrast for the shoot, as opposed to applying curves in post.
Some of these machines were made by notable influential tattooers. Such as Charlie Wagner, who invented the first tattoo machine patented with coils in a vertical position, which most tattoo artists use today.
Wagner
Paul Rogers of Inksmith & Rogers
Double Exposure of Mike "Rollo" Malone Machine & Flash.
Double Exposure of Machines & Flash
In back of the building, Lucky's Supply Manufactures and assembles modern tattoo machines and equipment for the professional industry. It was very impressive to watch them work on these machines.
A Stamp for every Machine body
Machine body In progress
Tip Drill
Overall, this was a very cool trip. The staff was friendly, I got some images I was happy about, and I came away with a greater appreciation of the craft of tattooing. If you're in the area, stop by, it's worth the trip!
