Chuck Eldridge is the owner and operator of Tattoo Archive in Berkeley. As it's name implies, the shop is set up as a sort of running mini-museum of tattoo history, not only in the Bay Area, but in North America as well. Currently, in these times of uncertain war, Eldridge is displaying patriotic and naval flash from the first and second World Wars.
It wasn't until the 1960s that tattooing had a significant shift to the west coast. At that time New York City was still the hotpot for tattooing, the Mecca if you will.
Historically, Eldridge says, tattooing in NorthAmerica first emanated from immigrants living in New York City before moving west. But the Natives American Indians tattooed for centuries before the white man arrived just about anywhere, even to the Bay Area.
The gold rush in the 1800s brought people west. Prospectors, carpetbaggers, tonic salesmen, pariahs, whole familes, the poor, delusional and the desperately hopefull all came west seeking a better life, elusive gold and longer sunsets. They came looking for fresh starts and riches. California, however, was not all it was carved out to be.
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With its numerous ports and a booming military industry providing jobs, the Bay Area quickly became one of the more populated centers in California. Eldridge says tattooing first settled down in San Francisco along the coast, where Pacific Street now houses a quiet nieghborhood. But back in the gold rush days, it resembled more a fantastic pirate town with whorehouses, gambling and vice of all sorts. At this point, tattooing was still growing in the Bay Area, much of it was still underground and less notable than the Sodom and Gommorah type atmosphere.
During this time, tattoo designs reflected the culture; the gold rush and naval maritime culture. Applying tattoos was different as well, moving from paper stencils to acetate and charcoal.
In time the tattoo shops along Pacific Street migrated to Market Street in downtown San Francisco. Here tattoo artists set up in arcades up and down the strip, renting out corner spaces in the middle of the carnival like setting. Working conditions were questionable at best relative to today's standards.
But in the '60s the city outlawed tattooing. And so California reaped the benefits of New York City's loss, even though tattooing continued in a surreptitious mannner in the city.
Now the Bay Area is recognized as one of the most influential areas for tattooing. Renowned artists move to the area for its positive and creative vibe, which Eldridge and others describe as much differente from other cities where jealous competition overrules creative community.
