Councilman Ira McDonald’s attempt to regulate tattoo shops brought this anonymous response, which I unearthed in the city archives.

Dear Sir,

I
recently made an investigation of the tattoo shops here and the persons
who operate them, for a friend of mine, whose young son, age 13, had
been marked up like a circus freak by a so called (professor) Freaser.

Of
course I knew nothing and cared less about this business until I saw
the filthy conditions under which they operate, which are just about as
filthy and unsanitary as the restaurants in which I am compelled to
eat. Of course I know that no one in the city or state govt. is
interested in their sanitation or the filth of the foods they serve. As
long as they pay their license they can poison any one they want to and
get away with it.

Doctors can perform any operation they want
to to get money, dentists can extract all your teeth if you pay him,
Jew (businessmen) can rob you if they want to and so on down the line
as long as they pay a license. Poor old John Citizen gets his teeth
kicked out any way he goes, so why pick on the tattoo man, he is no
dirtier, unsanitary or criminal than the government under which he
operates.

Of course it isn’t justice, no more than it is just to
allow a boy under 18 to go to war and get his brains shot out
protecting something that belongs to some big fat skunk who wouldn’t
spit on him if he were on fire. Altho
the Army is full of kids and no one raises a big stink if some
16-year-old kid gets his arm shot off in some stinking jungle but let
him walk into a tattoo shop of his own free will to get some little
silly picture put on his arm or leg and all sorts of people (who can
make political fodder out of it) start frothing at the mouth. They
don’t realize that no one can get those pictures unless they pay for
them, no one is ever dragged in off the streets, as I have had Jew
hockshop operators try to drag me into their stinking joints if I
happened to walk close to their door.

Why don’t some of you
smart politicians investigate yourselves first and then get the saloon
keepers who sell booze to young boys and girls, get the race horse
bookies who rob people of millions every month, close up all picture
shows who show lewd and degenerating exhibitions prettied up with sweet
music and trick photography and passed off on children of (all) ages as
some stirring smash hits, the filthier they are the more money they
make the less chance they run of being closed up.

Why don’t
the law stop all publication of pictures of a lewd and degenerating
nature. Every magazine a person looks at has a nearly nude woman
smeared all over the front page exposed to public view. What do you
think this does to a boy or girl at that impressionable age? Every
billboard you see has a 16-foot picture showing a young girl with a cigaret
in her mouth and or a bottle of beer in her hand. All this filth and
degenerating influence is graciously permitted by a governing body who
scream to high heaven if some kid happens to get a tattoo, I don’t get
it. The whole setup looks lopsided to me.

And I most certainly
don’t approve of young boys and girls getting tattoos. As I said
before, I investigated the character of the individual operating each
shop and found out a lot by playing one against the other. They were
all most willing to talk, showing more hate toward one another than
politicians (very unusual indeed) if possible.

The following is a short history and location of shops of the tattooers in this city.

At
101 E. 1st St. is Jack Julian, whose true name is William Jackson, is
Negro but claims to be Indian about 60 ex-circus roustabout and wild
man about 5/8 175 lbs light brown skin short nose with large growth
near base. This man is dangerous always carries pistol in shoulder
holster and wears badge like police.

Claims to have killed 5 men
was tried here some years ago for shooting his partner over dope
selling, sold dope in San Francisco, served sentence for same, charged
for murder in San Diego not convicted, insufficient evidence served
time here two years ago claims Mann Act, is wanted in Seattle, I am
told.

This man is very abusive and flourishes pistol when mad
lives in filthy back room of tattoo shop with young son, wife, also
tattooer is half breed Negro has served time in Seattle for (offering)
and drunk also bad character all around.

At 234 1/2 Main St. in
front of filthy restaurant is located Mr. O’Connor is ex-prize fighter,
also has pistol in shop, very abusive and pugnacious fights often was
from British Empire is not citizen has very filthy place  knows little
about art spent many years at sea is about 45 years old walks with
stumbling gait as most ex fighters came here from Canada no known
police record.

At 243 Main St. in Arcade is Sailor Jim was
forced to leave San Diego because of some trouble, nature unknown, has
been here but short time, is house painter, is drunkard and has record
for same, said to have had discharge from Navy very poor artist,
untrustworthy, claim new place of business but unsanitary.

At
316 Main is Soldier Russell true name unknown, circus roustabout and
saloon musician known pimp was at time terrible drunkard dirty place
very unsanitary pictures pasted on wall no known police record.

At
326 Main in photo shop, rear is (Prof.) Fraser born in British Empire
non citizen traveled for years as circus and carnival musician lived in
and raised family of 4 children in truck about 65 consumptive always
coughing and spitting was arrested in New York for affixing signature
of old master to cheap imitation was arrested in Boston for accepting
stolen govt. property from soldiers and sailors, also suspected of
handling bogus money forced to leave L.A. 1917 for refusal to send
children to school owns many pictures of boats, fancies himself  a
great artist terribly filthy and unsanitary flagrant violation of code
against tattoo young boys and girls.

At 429 Main St. in rear of
jewelry store is Mr. Lawson very old man has palsy and wry [?] neck
very nervous, bad heart coughs a lot has clean shop newly remodeled has
good pictures on wall painted by fine artist a Mr. Ben Corday
now dead, fancies self as dean of tattooers, at one time was said to be
very good, hates other tattooers, talks mostly of race horses and money
he made on suckers in San Diego from where he came two months ago, was
forced to leave there because unable to pass physical examination for
license which has recently been put into effect by Naval order was born
in British Empire no police record here. Wants high license fee.

At 433 Main Mr. Dimides old man about 65 pleasant, old time Navy man, has been in the business many years, disabled in Navy in last war, is fair tattoer,
but has no art training. Shop is clean, observes code against tattooing
young boys and girls was at one time terrible drunkard several arrests
for some no other police record known.

At same address 433 Main is Mr. Duff is about 50 fat, inoffensive knows nothing about art very poor tattoer
worked most of life as pitch man and sidewalk salesman also house to
house, many arrests for this work because of no license no other police
record.

At 432 Main St. upstairs is Frank Cramer
terrible drunkard when half drunk will tattoo children when sober not
too particular has dirty place in which he sleeps allows prostitutes to
bring men there, poor workman, many arrests for drunk no other police
record.

Also 432 Main St. works for Cramer followed carnivals, gambler type, consumptive looking poor workman, occasional drunk no known police record goes by name of Rosell true name unknown.

At
458 1/2 upstairs in flophouse hotel is Mr. Steele about 6ft 4
simpleminded childish type knows nothing of art or profession sober no
known arrests.

At 105 5th St. Tony Pratus
born in Portugal, former merchant seaman non citizen, drunk most of
time, many arrests, very argumentative, small man poor workman will
tattoo young boys and girls, dirty shop.

Also at 105 working for Pratas
is Mr. Leon born in Spain, non citizen very pleasant little man about
50 has had art training fair workman but dirty and unsanitary no known
police record.

Well there you have a short record of the persons and characters of the men in the tattoo business.

Some
of this information I obtained from the men personally some I observed
but mostly the information came from other tattooers with the aid of a
pint of whisky and the assurance that I was a carnival man and talked
their language.

These men are representative citizens no
better nor worse than a like number of bankers … politicians,
policemen, preachers, publishers, health camp operators, boys
counselors, doctors, dentists, lawyers, mothers, fathers, and so on.
The jails are bulging with all of them so why froth at the mouth over a
tattooer.

If you want to cure the trouble make a law to control
who can or cannot be tattooed, eliminate all men who have been
criminals. After all a dope peddler or user or murderer or receiver of
stolen govt. goods belongs in jail and not in a tattoo shop or any
other place of business.

These tattooers should have at least
one year residence here in L.A. 6 months in local accredited art
school, instruction in first aid and sanitation, a certificate of
health on syph, nerves, TB, eyesight, a man can be partially disabled and still do this type of work after all many fine artists are crippled.

A
license fee of say $50 or $100 dollars for shop and $10 for individual
operator will cure this violation of children’s personal welfare, make
it six months in jail for each violation.

If you want to check on this report it can easily be done by simply asking each operator about the other.

I am giving you this information hoping you will use it for the purpose that it is meant, to clean up an unpleasant situation.

Citizen