Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins (1911-1973) is the man many see as a father of deftly crafted, boldly lined, balls-forward Old School Tattoo.

He became a sailor when he was 19. He travelled around the world, not only getting his firs tattoos, but also gaining exposure to the art and imagery of Southeast Asia.

Sailor Jerry opened his first tattoo shop in Honolulu´s Chinatown, ground zero for swaggering sailors,drunken soldiers and whoever wasn´t afraid to hang around volatile levels of testosterone.

Sailors weren´t looking at the nuances of shading and color, they were seeking pictures worth showing off to their buddies back home. Sailor Jerry built his business with bold designs that artfully expressed the mind set of his clientele.

Rocked in the craddle of deep...