152

Detroit, ca. 1925

Percy Waters Side Wheeler Tattoo Machine

Made by tattoo artist and supplier Percy Waters (1888-1952), Detroit, Michigan, ca. 1925. Nickel-plated bronze or brass. Stamped "Percy Waters" on front of frame, "Detroit" on back of frame, "W" on inside of frame and "Waters" on armature bar.

Everette Eli Alexander (1903-1978), a career Army man, ordered these machines and pamphlets from Detroit tattoo master and mail-order tattoo supply empresario Percy Waters in 1925.

Influenced by the US military's strong tattoo culture, Alexander began corresponding with tattoo suppliers as a young enlisted man. In August of 1925, while stationed at Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York, Alexander received several envelopes of catalogs, circulars and other trade paper from Percy Waters's supply house. He later purchased several of Waters's nickel-plated "Side Wheeler" machines, probably named for its front-facing binding posts, reminiscent of the large wheel of a steamboat.

When or how often Alexander used the machines is unknown, but it is certain that they were put back to work in the early 1930s, shortly after Alexander's 1932 marriage to Louise Woynowskie (1914-2015), an outgoing, adventurous woman who could shoot, ride, and generally whip her weight in tigers. To supplement their income, Louise taught herself to tattoo—even inking a small practice tattoo on her own leg—and began tattooing soldiers on the bases where the couple was stationed. Throughout her life, Louise relished telling this story and showing her tattoo. Louise died in 2015 at the age of 100.
Overall length: 7 in. ( x 17.8 cm.)

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September 24, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
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