Post your book collection!

[Dennis]

I'm always interested to see what tattoo related books/items people have purchased. If you don't have any photos of what you've got, post a list of your books! If you've acquired anything tattoo related such as Japanese masks or something similar, I'd love to see those as well!

Man I love tattoo books!

:D

EDIT: Oops, should've posted my picture to start this thing off! I just finished moving all my school and science related books to a different shelf to make room for a couple new tattoo books I've got coming in, which is what prompted me to start the thread. The only tattoo related book I've got that isn't on the shelf is Bloodworks: Bodies! The book is so massive it won't fit anywhere! The shoeboxes up top are filled with stickers and tattoo business cards!

Edited September 25, 2014 by Dennis
Didn't post the picture!

[ironchef]

Just starting my book collection:

Wabori

Wanzakure

Fingerwave Book

Shige

Immovable

Monmon Cats

Kingdom of Wenramen

JBxH3

Horitoshi

Perseverance

Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams

[Dennis]

Just starting my book collection:

Wabori

Wanzakure

Fingerwave Book

Shige

Immovable

Monmon Cats

Kingdom of Wenramen

JBxH3

Horitoshi

Perseverance

Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams

Shige, Horitoshi and Wanzakure are on my to get list for sure! How is the Horitoshi book? Is the Shige one of the first pressing hardcover copies?

[ironchef]

@Dennis The Shige copy I have is a softcover. The Horitoshi book is awesome. I would try to find a copy below $100 if you can. I got my directly from Horimitsu when he tattooed me for I think $75. It's in English as well as Italian and comes with a DVD. I haven't watched the DVD yet and will let you know in the future about that. Its a great book with stunning work and pics of the entire Horitoshi family.

What's the Tattoo in Japan book and how's the Horimasa sketch book? So many more books I would love to get but I end up saving money for tattoos, hahaha.

[exume]

I actually took this picture a couple weeks ago when my scorpion front stuff showed up.

Just getting started. Not pictured: Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams, 2000 Dragons, and Monmon Cats

[Lance]

I've been meaning to take account of all my books. This was as good an excuse as anytime to figure it out. I think this covers it, but it's likely I have a couple more hiding somewhere. Mostly Japanese stuff (big surprise, right?). Some are quality. Some are academic. A couple are meh. Mostly good though. I think anyways, but I need to fill in some gaps that should be a part of any collection.

Tattoo Related:

-Full Coverage: NSK Collective

-Bloodwork: Bodies (Analog)

-Iron Will (Grime)

-Two Year Autopsy (Grime)

-The Fingerwave Book (Grime)

-Scott Campbell: If You Don't Belong. Don't be Long

-Tattooed By "The Family Business" (that one put out by Mo Cappoletta's shop)

-Bunshin: Tattoo Art By Horihito

-Bunshin II: Japanese Traditional Tattoo, Horitsune II, Dragon & Kannon

-Horitoshi I Storia Dell'Irezumi (Robert Borsi)

-Japanese Tattoo Designs: Ichibay (Luke Atkinson)

-Shige (Hardcover) (pub. State of Grace, Inc)

-Shige (softcover) (pub. State of Grace, Inc)

-Tattooing From Japan To The West (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka))

-Bushido: Legacies of The Japanese Tattoo (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka))

-Tattoos Of The Floating World: Ukiyo-e Motifs In The Japanese Tattoo (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka))

-Studying Horiyoshi III: A Westerner's Journey Into Japanese Tattoo (Jill Mandelbaum (Bonny)(Horiyuki))

-Underway Is the Only Way (Grime & Horitaka)

-Tattoo Artist: A Colletion Of Narratives (Jill Mandelbaum (Bonny) (Horiyuki))

-Fudo Myo-o Tattoo Design by Horitomo

-Monmon Cats (Kazuaki Kitamura (Horitomo))

-I <3 Tattoos (Takahiro Kitamura (Horitaka))

-Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World

-Horiyoshi III (Grime & Horitaka)

-Sketches of Horiyoshi III (pub. State of Grace, Inc)

-Legacy: The Horiyoshi III Tradition (Juan Puente)

-Japan's Tattoo Arts Horiyoshi's World 2

-100 Demons of Horiyoshi III

-58 Musha By Horiyoshi III

-Wanzakure: The Road To Shisei (by Horiyoshi III)

-Denotwaza (on Nakamura Toshikazu) (Alek Reinke/Matti Sedholm)

-Those 3 Japanese Masters Books The Red one. The Black one. The Blue one. (Japanese Pub)

-Backpiece Tattoo II (Japanese Pub)

-Backpiece Tattoo III (Japanese Pub)

-Tattoo In Japan (That thick hardcover one by Edition Reuss)

-Horikazu (Edition Reuss)

-Wabori, Traditional Japanese Tattoo

-Japanese Tattooing Now: Memory & Transition (that tan colored book from around 2001ish)

-A History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing

-Tokyo Tattoo 1970

-Mau Moko: The world of Maori Tattoo

-Sacred Skin - Thailand 's Spirit Tattoos

-The Mammoth Book of Tattoos (Lal Hardy)

-Tattoo World (Marisa Kokoulas/Michael Kaplan)

Tattoo Reference:

-Of Brigands and Bravery (108 Heroes of the Suikoden) (Kuniyoshi)

-The Faithful Samurai (47 Ronin) (Kuniyoshi)

-Heroes of the Grand Pacification (Kuniyoshi) (come to think of it, I actually gave that one to Jill Bonny as "thank you" one session, so I need to get another copy)

-Kuniyoshi: From The Arthur R. Miller Collection

-Samurai, Stars of the Stage, and Beautiful Women: Kunisada and Kuniyoshi Masters of the Color Woodblock Print

-Art of Armor: Samurai Armor From the Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection

-Memoir: Tattooed Portaits Series (Shawn Barber)

-Time Present & Time Past Images of a Forgotten Master (on Kunichika)

-Hokusai Manga

-The Secret of Noh Masks

-A Japanese publication on, Tsuyoshi Nagano, a contemporary artist who paints a lot of samurai motifs

-A few more Japanese publications. 1 on Kyosai, 2 on Yoshitoshi, and probably 4 more on Kuniyoshi (Can't read Japanese so don't know their names)

- - - Updated - - -

I'm always interested to see what tattoo related books/items people have purchased. If you don't have any photos of what you've got, post a list of your books! If you've acquired anything tattoo related such as Japanese masks or something similar, I'd love to see those as well!

Man I love tattoo books!

:D

EDIT: Oops, should've posted my picture to start this thing off! I just finished moving all my school and science related books to a different shelf to make room for a couple new tattoo books I've got coming in, which is what prompted me to start the thread. The only tattoo related book I've got that isn't on the shelf is Bloodworks: Bodies! The book is so massive it won't fit anywhere! The shoeboxes up top are filled with stickers and tattoo business cards!

Nice looking collection going on there. I zoomed in for a closer look and thought, "oh I want that one and that one over there too!".

And @ironchef, how's the wenren book? I'm tempted to order it if they are still available.

[keepcalm]

I will capitalize on this thread to ask a question:

If you had to recommend a couple of books that are a good place to start for someone interested in learning more about the history, culture, and development of tattoos and the art of tattooing generally, what might you recommend?

[CultExciter]

I will capitalize on this thread to ask a question:

If you had to recommend a couple of books that are a good place to start for someone interested in learning more about the history, culture, and development of tattoos and the art of tattooing generally, what might you recommend?

Here is the list that I think would get you going without breaking the bank:

Stoney Knows How

Sailor Jerry: American Tattoo Master

Bushido: Legacies of The Japanese Tattoo

New York City Tattoo

Ed Hardy's Tattoo Time

[tatB]

Perseverance: Japanese Tattoo Tradition in a Modern World

$19.99 plus shipping. everyone should own a copy or two.

[smiling.politely]

Still trying to establish myself enough to afford all of the books I want... plus, my little bookshelf at the shop is already full. There's a few new sketchbooks and flash books I'll be getting ahold of soon, and the next book I really, really want to get is Ed's big red book. As of now, if the shop were to catch fire, I'd grab the prints GTC sent me, my Malone acetate, and the Irezumi book by Morita and Ritchie.

This omits my fiancée's Angelique Houtkamp books (she's since moved on to Wendy Pham and Guen Douglas in that vein), ElevenFourteen, Our Tattoos Vol. 1, 3, & 4, and The Mammoth Tattoo Book. I also have a few suitcases full of magazines I'm slowly cutting good stuff out of to make a few scrapbooks of what got me more interested in tattooing.

[CultExciter]

Speaking of, The Skull Book just went on pre-sale. I've loved the books Zach and Ezra have been putting out. I just ordered this for my damn self.

LLL Books- Tattoo Art & Reference Books

[Dennis]

Here is the list that I think would get you going without breaking the bank:

Stoney Knows How

Sailor Jerry: American Tattoo Master

Bushido: Legacies of The Japanese Tattoo

New York City Tattoo

Ed Hardy's Tattoo Time

I would add Tattoo History: A Source Book to that list as well. Affordable and extremely informative!

The Tattoo History Source Book: Steve Gilbert: 9781890451066: Amazon.com: Books

[bongsau]

Born Weird

Lost Love

Juxtapoz Tattoo I

Juxtapoz Tattoo II

Juxtapoz Illustration I

Juxtapoz Illustration II

Juxtapoz Psychadelic

Sailor Jerry American Tattoo Master

Vintage Tattoos: The Book of Old-School Skin Art

New York City Tattoo: The Oral History of an Urban Art

Smilin' Buddha - A 25 Year History

A History of Japanese Body Suit Tattooing

Tattooing From Japan To The West

The Japanese Tattoo Design Handbook Vol.1

Misc Chinese illustration books (tigers, hawks, peonies)

Misc Japanese Tattoo magazines

...and some other misc books I can't remember...just moved and still unpacking the boxes :)

[kylegrey]

Vintage Tattoos by Carol Clerk is another thats really affordable and a great place to start .

Here's what I have

Horiyoshi III by Grime and Horitaka

Tattootime: Art from the heart (original )

Tattootime : Music and Sea (original )

Bulls -Eyes and Black Eyes ( Malone / Hardy )

Tattooing the Invisible Man ( Hardy )

Nihon Dentou Shisei vol 2 ( Tattoo Burst Japan )

Cosmic Mook vol 4 ( Japan )

You call this Art a Greg Irons retrospective

Sailor Jerry Collins American Tattoo Master

Stoney Knows How

Shienrenjo Ozuma Kaname

Vintage Tattoos Carol Clerk .

There's so many great books out there funds permitting I would have many more .

[Dennis]

Here's mine in list form if you can't make them out in the picture!

Horimasa (signed)

Organica

Bunshin II

The Japanese Tattoo

Suits Made to Fit

Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo

Tattoo History: A Source Book

The Eye of Atrocity

Demons from the Haunted World

Outlaw Swords of Death

Samurai Ghosts and Monster Wars

Night Parade of Dead Souls

Shawn Barber's Memoir

Escaping the Gallows

Japanese Ghost Stories

Japanese Mythical Creatures

The Extraordinary Drawings of Laurie Lipton (somewhat related as reference material)

Jef Bertels (signed)

Backpiece Tattoo 1-3

Ed Hardy's Tattoo Time

Ozuma Kaname's Shienrenjo

Tokyo Tattoo 1970

Wabori

The Art of the Leu Family (signed)

Underway is the Only Way

Smilin' Buddha (signed)

Myths, Gods and Legends

Studying Horiyoshi III

Rodrigo Melo's Japanese Style Tattoo Art

Perseverance

Ed Hardy's Wear Your Dreams

JBxH3

Japanese Demon Lore: Oni

Shunga: Japanese Erotic Art

Cosmic Mook Tattoo 1-4

The Mammoth Book of Tattoos

Full Coverage

Chris Trevino's Gods and Warriors

In a World of Compromise...I Don't (signed by Bob Roberts)

Leu Family's Family Iron

Tattoo in Japan

Hiroshige: Sixty Nine Stations of Kisokaido

The Fingerwave Book

Bloodworks: Bodies

Some knock off books of Horimouja sketches and Filip Leu's dragon books. Given to me as a gift, they meant well! Hahah

Currently waiting for the "Black & Grey Tattoo 1-3: From Street Art to Fine Art" box set to come in!

[Graeme]

@keepcalm I'd also highly recommend Margot Mifflin's Bodies of Subversion. It's specifically about women and tattoos and it's a really well-written, intelligent, and insightful book. The third edition recently came out and it shouldn't be expensive.

I might have a couple of books sitting around elsewhere but on my shelf now is:

Burchett - Memoirs of a Tattooist

Cooper - Tokyo Tattoo 70

DeVita Unauthorized

Flash From the Past

Gilbert - Tattoo History: A Sourcebook

Hardy - Wear Your Dreams

Hardy - the Tattootime hardcover reprint

Higgs - The Doomsday Bonnet

Higgs and Ranson - Morph Traits

Horitomo - Monmon Cats

Greg Irons - various books and comics

JBxH3

Kitamoto - Myths, Gods, Legends

Kitamura - Bushido

Malone - Bulls Eyes and Black Eyes

Mifflin - Bodies of Subversion (2nd and 3rd editions)

Stony - Stony Knows How

TAM - issues 1-5 hard bound

There's a lot of stuff I'm not including here that isn't directly related to tattoos, like reference books on Asian art, Buddhist iconography, books about the myths and legends of Japan, books on folk art, ornament, and art generally that have been very helpful to me in understanding tattooing and just art as a whole.

[taaarro]

My collection is pretty small so I'll just post ones I don't think have been mentioned yet.

Don Ed Hardy, Rock of Ages

Don Ed Hardy, Tattoo Flash

Thomas Jeppe, Home Made Tattoos Rule

Thomas Jeppe, Old Men's Tattoos

Gerard Levy/Serge Bramly, Fleur de peau

Jerome Pierrat/Eric Guillon, Mauvais Garçons

BTW I see a new IG hashtag #tattoobookjousting

[Dennis]

@Dennis The Shige copy I have is a softcover. The Horitoshi book is awesome. I would try to find a copy below $100 if you can. I got my directly from Horimitsu when he tattooed me for I think $75. It's in English as well as Italian and comes with a DVD. I haven't watched the DVD yet and will let you know in the future about that. Its a great book with stunning work and pics of the entire Horitoshi family.

What's the Tattoo in Japan book and how's the Horimasa sketch book? So many more books I would love to get but I end up saving money for tattoos, hahaha.

Thanks for the info! The Tattoo in Japan book is great, tons of high quality photography from different Japanese artists. Definitely worth picking up! Lots of times you can find amazing deals for tattoo books on Amazon, surprisingly enough. They have the Bloodworks: Bodies set for around $178 dollars right now. That's a steal!

The Horimasa book is awesome, part sketches and part tattoo work, similar to Adam Kitamoto's book in layout. I think I'm the opposite, I always buy tattoo related paraphernalia and don't have money to get tattooed! Hahah

[LanaZellner]

Has anyone purchased the Spider Murphy's tattoo flash book? First or Second edition? Thoughts?

[exume]

I flipped through the first edition at Lifetime once, really cool stuff in there. Really well put together, nice slip cover, high quality book. Well worth checking out @LanaZellner

[Dennis]

Ordered another book and scored a Kapala. THIS IS WHY I GET TATTOOED ONCE EVERY COUPLE YEARS!!!!!!!

[joakim urma]

While I do love book in many ways I don't see the point of having a collection. I buy pocket books that I want to read, and mostly I give them away to friends or charity as soon as I'm done. I keep a few selected, bigger, art books but think three times before buying new ones. In Stockholm we have huge libraries, to browse or borrow from. I seldom read books more than once anyways and if I want to keep an image I can take a photo. It's mostly to get an experience and save the idea in my head anyway, I don't feel the need to own things like this in a material way.

Buying and keeping books in quantities would be a waste of space, natural resources and money, in my oppinion. I feel this way about a lot of things. Too bad that we have an economy where, often, the main way to support art/people you love is to buy shit from them. I really try to limit my need to aquire things. Tattoos is the only thing I collect and pay top money for. They don't take any space and they don't weight anything, they're with me till I die and can't be stole from me. True value.

I'll post a list of the few books I do keep later.

[Dennis]

While I do love book in many ways I don't see the point of having a collection. I buy pocket books that I want to read, and mostly I give them away to friends or charity as soon as I'm done. I keep a few selected, bigger, art books but think three times before buying new ones. In Stockholm we have huge libraries, to browse or borrow from. I seldom read books more than once anyways and if I want to keep an image I can take a photo. It's mostly to get an experience and save the idea in my head anyway, I don't feel the need to own things like this in a material way.

Buying and keeping books in quantities would be a waste of space, natural resources and money, in my oppinion. I feel this way about a lot of things. Too bad that we have an economy where, often, the main way to support art/people you love is to buy shit from them. I really try to limit my need to aquire things. Tattoos is the only thing I collect and pay top money for. They don't take any space and they don't weight anything, they're with me till I die and can't be stole from me. True value.

I'll post a list of the few books I do keep later.

I can see where you're coming from. I like collecting books, music and tattoo related stuff. Lots of the items I collected are limited edition and their value tends to appreciate with time, so I see some of the things I've purchased as an investment.

That being said, the closest tattoo artist to me which I have/would get work from is a 9 hour drive one way, and others I've had to fly for. When I'm ready for another one/make an appointment I'll start allocating funds towards sessions/travel. Until that time comes, woo books, skulls and music! :)

[Mick Weder]

I don't see the point of having a collection.

Buying and keeping books in quantities would be a waste of space.

Im with ya on that too. In our house we don't collect ornaments, paintings,books or music.

We don't collect ornaments because they're garbage, but books & music solely because of the space when today we don't need to.

I ripped my entire music collection to file, sold it, and now only purchase through iTunes. Same with my books, through iBooks. So I have all my work, music and reading material in one central location through my Mac, linked to my phone and Bluetooth my music to my Bose units, again compact but quality sound.

I do have one hard copy Tattoo book, Skin Shows and have purchased Hardy's Wear Your Dreams via iBooks.

"Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

[Mick Weder]

"Booze, Blues & Tattoos"