Sailor Jerry Collins

Norman Keith Collins, known as Sailor Jerry, was a pioneering American tattoo artist born in Reno, Nevada, who developed the American Traditional tattoo style by blending sailor motifs with Japanese influences. He learned tattooing in the 1920s, served in the U.S. Navy, and established his legendary shop in Honolulu's Hotel Street district during World War II, innovating techniques, pigments, and sterilization methods. A multifaceted figure, he also captained a schooner, hosted a radio show as 'Old Ironsides,' and pursued interests in electronics and poetry until his death in 1973.