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What's Up With That Tattoo? Find Out At Hammond Museum

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. -- What does a tattoo say about you? The artist? History?

Homeward Bound with a ship in full sail by tattoo artist, Chris Nelson is one of the pieces representing a safe journey featured in the upcoming exhibit at Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden.

Homeward Bound with a ship in full sail by tattoo artist, Chris Nelson is one of the pieces representing a safe journey featured in the upcoming exhibit at Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden

Delve deeper into the subject at an upcoming tattoo art exhibit in North Salem.

The exhibit of "Pirates, Mermaids and Love: 100 Years of Tattoo" will be on exhibit Sept. 21 to Nov. 12 at Hammond Museum & Japanese Stroll Garden.

There will be an opening reception Saturday, Sept. 24 from 1 to 3 p.m.

In association with Lift Trucks Project, the exhibit is a compilation of antique flash. Flash is the artwork created by the tattoo artist and displayed on sheets of paper from which customer choose a design.

Tattooing became popular during World War II. Some of the more popular tattoo artists such as Sailor Jerry, British tattoo artists Tom Berg and George Burchett and husband and wife teams, Joe and Mabel Darpel, Dainty Dotty and Owen Jensen have pieces exhibited at the Hammond. 

Some pieces in the exhibit with numbers crossed out or taped over represent the fact that the piece was used for years and shows that the cost increased. 

Tattoos were particularly popular at carnivals and at ports where sailors landed. Pieces such as the larger-than-life-size cut-out tattooed figures of girls in the exhibit would be used at the entrance in a carnival to draw in people. 

Some of the more popular themes were love, travel and superstition with sailors getting tattoos to remember their loved ones at home or to provide them with a safe journey. 

For more information about the exhibit and museum hours, call (914)-669-5033 or email gardenprogram@yahoo.com

The museum is at 28 Deveau Rpad., North Salem.

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