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American
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Lyle Tuttle

roomParadise

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3
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Lyle Tuttle (born October 7, 1931) is a well-known American tattoo artist and historian of the medium, who has been tattooing since 1949.

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Attended events

6th Sweetwater County Inkfest
airplanemode_active MAR 07 - 10, 2019
American Rock Springs
14th Amsterdam Tattoo Convention
airplanemode_active NOV 02 - 04, 2018
Dutch Amsterdam
Body Art Expo Pomona 2018
airplanemode_active JUL 13 - 15, 2018
American Pomona
13th St. Louis Old School Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 17 - 19, 2017
American St. Louis
25th New Orleans Tattoo Voodoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 03 - 05, 2017
American Metairie
16th Seattle Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active AUG 18 - 20, 2017
American Seattle
19th Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention
airplanemode_active FEB 10 - 12, 2017
American Philadelphia
12th St. Louis Old School Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 18 - 20, 2016
American St. Louis
5th Pacific Ink & Art Expo Hawaii
airplanemode_active AUG 05 - 07, 2016
American Honolulu
5th The Australian Tattoo Body Art Expo Melbourne
airplanemode_active DEC 04 - 06, 2015
Australian Melbourne
11th St. Louis Old School Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 13 - 15, 2015
American St. Louis
2nd Sweetwater County Inkfest
airplanemode_active OCT 08 - 11, 2015
American Rock Springs
Gulf Shores Invitational Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active APR 18 - 20, 2014
American Galveston
8th Massachusetts Tattoo Art Festival
airplanemode_active MAR 28 - 30, 2014
American Sturbridge
Wild Wild West Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active MAR 06 - 09, 2014
American Tucson
2nd Pacific Ink & Art Expo Hawaii
airplanemode_active AUG 02 - 04, 2013
American Honolulu
Central City Tattoo & Arts Festival
airplanemode_active MAY 03 - 05, 2013
American Santa Maria
Party in Paradise Tattoo Expo 2013
airplanemode_active JAN 11 - 13, 2013
Philippines Cebu City
13th Northern Ink Xposure · Toronto Tattoo Show
airplanemode_active JUN 17 - 19, 2011
Toronto
5th St. Louis Old School Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 13 - 15, 2009
American St. Louis
Southern Ink Xposure
airplanemode_active JAN 23 - 25, 2009
South african Cape Town
4th St. Louis Old School Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 14 - 16, 2008
American St. Louis
2nd Live Free Or Die Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active JUL 11 - 13, 2008
American Manchester
3rd St. Louis Tattoo Expo
airplanemode_active NOV 09 - 11, 2007
American St. Louis
1st Northern Ink Xposure · Toronto Tattoo Show
airplanemode_active JUN 06 - 07, 1998
Collingwood
20th Anniversary of the First World Tattoo Convention
airplanemode_active JAN 19 - 21, 1996
American Houston
1st National Tattoo Association Convention
airplanemode_active MAR 23 - 25, 1979
American Denver
First World Tattoo Convention
airplanemode_active JAN 24 - 25, 1976
American Houston

Has worked at

description

Lyle Tuttle is considered the first 'celebrity' tattoo artist. He has tattooed a lot of famous people, including Janis Joplin (considered the first tattooed celebrity), Cher (on her ass), Peter Fonda and one or more of the guys from Kiss, among others. Doing so, he also become famous himself. He has appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. "The printed word has done more for the tattoo industry than anything" he once told Prick Magazine.

Tuttle witnessed more than one tattoo renaissance, the first coinciding with women's liberation (and the doubling of potential clientes that came with that), and the second coming from increased African American interest in the art.

Although officially retired from tattooing in 1990, Lyle continues to educate and promote at tattoo conferences and expos worldwide.

"I was 10 years and two months old to the day, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. All through the war servicemen returning home either on leave or maybe discharged from being wounded, many were sporting tattoos. To a kid my age, those tattoos were "hot shit". Those tattoos were living proof of a great adventure, with travel and romance combined. It meant that this guy had been out of the valley, over the horizon and places I had never heard of. WOW!

So that's why tattoos have always been special to me. Tattoos are travel marks, stickers on your luggage. Tattoos are special, you have to go off and earn them. You can go into a jewelry store and buy a big diamond and slip it on your finger and walk out. It's not like that when you go into a tattoo shop and pick a big tattoo and pay for it. Now you got to sit down and take it."

-Lyle Tuttle

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