Happy birthday, Sailor Jerry!
Sailor Jerry is a household name in Hawaii. The legendary tattoo artist, famous for his work on sailors and his technical innovations in the world of tattooing, used to have a shop on Smith Street in Chinatown until his death in 1973. You may also have seen his name on bottles of rum, along with his trademark hula girl art. It’s sometimes a jolt, though, to realize how influential Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins’ methods and trademark artistic style were for the entire tattooing industry and how internationally well-respected he still is today.
I recently got the opportunity to go on a tour around Oahu in honor of Collins’ birthday. Headed up by New York-based Sailor Jerry Rum National Brand Ambassador Paul Monahan and PR maven Dana Dynamite, the group consisted of five journalists and bloggers from New York, as well as a bowling team from Los Angeles (Gerado Leyva, Ivan D. Leyva and Andres Munoz Jr.), who beat out 42 other teams in the Pins and Pin Ups tournament—a cosmic bowling contest played while drinking Sailor Jerry rum—to win a trip to Hawaii. The plan: To spend three crazy days and nights barhopping and touring the island of Oahu, while honoring one of the greatest tattoo artists to ever live.
The group landed in Honolulu on January 14, the day that Collins would have turned 104. Despite jet lag, everybody soldiered up (pun intended), and the adventure began.
Sailor Jerry Birthday Tour
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The first stop was Collins’ old tattoo shop at 1033 Smith Street in Chinatown. It’s more than 60 years old and is the oldest tattoo shop in Hawaii. Most recently, the spot was taken over by Chris Danley, a talented tattoo artist who, among his many accomplishments, worked as a resident artist in Tattican, the tattoo shop inside the Amsterdam Tattoo Museum. Danley restored the spot to its former glory as a tribute to Collins, but sadly passed away in July of last year. His partners continue the legacy, accepting walk-ins every day of the week.
Inside, you’ll find Sailor Jerry designs on the walls, a portrait of the famous tattoo artist, Sailor Jerry flash catalogs and a vibrant vintage theme.
