Homeward Bound: The Life & Times Of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry

Last Friday would have marked the 100th birthday of Norman Keith Collins who is more famously known as Sailor Jerry. Recognized as the father of modern-day tattooing, Sailor Jerry-inspired tattoos are everywhere. In celebration of the 100-year anniversary, a limited-edition 128-page hardbound book was released displaying previously unpublished photos and essays.
Homeward Bound: The Life & Times Of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry is limited and can only be found on the Sailor Jerry website.

Homeward Bound: The Life & Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry

This week I received a copy of Homeward Bound: The Life and Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry and devoured it instantly. This limited edition hardcover is 128 pages filled with rare photos of the tattoo legend and his work, as well as images of turn-of-the-century newspaper clippings, vintage flash sheets, circus sideshow promos, snapshots of WWII sailors on shore leave and "hula girls," and so much more. It is quite rightfully described as using "the life of Sailor Jerry as the conduit to deliver a visual ethnography of American tattooing."

Homeward Bound: The Life and Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry

This book is simply amazing whether you’re into tattoos or not, and a great accompaniment to Erich Weiss’ documentary Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry.

Tattoos: From Cutting-Edge to Couture

High-fashion thrusts tattoo art onto the runway and into the spotlight

First it was Ari Marcopoulos’s short film “No Way Back” for Yves Saint Laurent men’s spring/summer ‘11 collection, featuring famed tattoo artist Mark Mahoney in action.  Then – or perhaps simultaneously – it was tattooist-to-the-fashion-elite Scott Campbell’s SS’11 collaboration with Louis Vuitton, and the accompanying “video diptych” part one and part two.

Homeward Bound: The Life & Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry Book
This year marks the 100th birthday of prominent American tattoo artist Norman Collins, better known as Sailor Jerry. Celebrating his innovative work is this book Homeward Bound: The Life & Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry. The 128-page book features a number of unseen photos and essays and serves as a companion to Erich Weiss’ critically acclaimed documentary, Hori Smoku. The hardback publication is now available in limited numbers through Sailor Jerry.

Stewed, Screwed, & Tattooed: Sailor Jerry’s Hawaiian Legacy

Stewed, Screwed, & Tattooed: Sailor Jerry’s Hawaiian Legacy Astronomer Dr. Carl Sagan is credited with saying, "You have to know the past in order to understand the present." The people behind Sailor Jerry have clearly taken the advice to heart, modeling the iconic brand's 100th-birthday Hawaiian celebration after the idea. Sailor Jerry is backed by people who love the rum, but who also love its storied past, taking great measures to introduce the continental US to the life and times of Sailor Jerry and the huge cultural impact wartime-era Hawaii had on the world. It’s been fascinating to visit the Tiki Supper Clubs and see classic sailor ink (both of which are experiencing major comebacks in pop culture), and it’s surprising how closely they're related. Homeward Bound: The Life and Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, does a fantastic job outlining this connection, and recalls the era and artistic legacy of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, the father of the old-school tattoo.