1964 TV interview with Doc Forbes

[Graeme]

Needles and Sins pointed out this gem, a CBC television interview with Doc Forbes from 1964.

CBC Digital Archives - Pastimes General - Doc Forbes, tattoo artist

The interviewer talks with Forbes and his clients, we get some nice looks at his tattoos and his flash, but the coolest thing about the interview for me is near the end when Forbes is tattooing an 82 year old client who has really extensive work from George Burchett including a battle royale backpiece from 1906.

I've posted this picture before, but I'm a bit of a nerd about tattoo history and when I was visiting my family in Vancouver last Christmas I made an appointment with Chris Hold at Sacred Heart Tattoo so that me and @Pugilist could get matching tattoos from some Forbes flash. What could be better as a souvenir tattoo in Vancouver than a design from Doc Forbes? Chris was amazing and super accommodating about fitting us in on short notice, and the tattoos are great, so simple, folky, and charming. Chris had also fairly recently visited Lyle Tuttle, who has a pretty huge collection of Forbes' flash, and we got to see scans Chris had made of it and there's a lot of really great designs in there.

Lucky's Tattoo Museum also has scans of a bunch of his flash that you can view here.

[guitguy]

I just happened upon this clip as it was linked on the Pearl Harbor Gift Shop website. So cool !

[SStu]

gloves in 1964!!

[Graeme]

gloves in 1964!!

Yeah, I know! So weird to see that. Way ahead of his time, I suppose.