You know those places you’ve driven past a thousand times
and every time you speed by you think what’s that about and promise yourself one
day when you have time you’ll stop? Today was finally stopping day.
The Baltimore Tattoo Museum is not subtle. It’s bright green
roof and adorned doorway is easily spotted. You know it. You’ve driven by it.
You’ve probably never stopped because like me you don’t know the first thing
about tattoos. Not that I have anything against ink. I’ve just never seen art I
liked well enough to wear for the rest of my life.
And I still haven’t but I did see some great art.
The Museum, on the corner of Eastern and Bond in Fells, is
in essence a fully functioning tattoo parlor. Pick from examples, bring your
own, ask them to design it….they can do anything. And there’s real talent
there. But their walls are what had me fascinated.
You can see an American tattoo century on those walls. The
collection traces the history of electric tattooing in America.
Starting with clippings, photos and examples of tattooed
carnival workers, you travel through the decades. On those walls are the 40s
with the quintessential sailor tattoos, the bright colors of 70s and 80s
designs to the black and white memorials for loved ones long gone emblazoned on
the shoulder blades of those left behind.
It’s inspiring really. And you may be too. On those walls
you may find that art you thought you’d never find. That one design you’ll
happily wear for the rest of your life. And even if you don’t you’ll enjoy the
effort that went into the work. And for a museum it’s a hell of a lot less
stuffy than the Walters.
They open at 11 a.m., 7 days a week and they don’t mind at
all if you just wander around flipping through portfolios and checking out
their walls or their arms or their legs or…well, you know.
