A visual history of the life of Augustus “Gus” Wagner and his work as a hand tattoo artist, exploring a relatively unknown area of American art history from the 1890s to the 1930s
This book includes
• more than 100 examples of Gus Wagner’s tattoo flash as well as photos of his life and work, including his handheld tattooing tools;
• excerpts from interviews with Gus, telling his story in his own words; and
• selected passages from three of Herman Melville’s novels—Typee, White Jacket, and Moby Dick
The tattoo flash in this book is a testimony to the richness of Gus Wagner’s image vocabulary, his life, and his artistic influences. This is the first in a series of three books exploring "the Last of the Hand Tattoo Artists." The next two books will focus on Gus's wife, Maud, and their daughter, Lovetta, renowned hand tattoo artists in their own right.
128 pp | 110 color and black-and-white photos
