Ink, Grit, and the Arcade: Vancouver’s Tattoo Uprising (1900s–1930s)
Vancouver has a long, gritty, and fascinating tattoo history, one that predates the trendy parlours and Instagram-famous artists of today. Long before tattooing became a business, Indigenous peoples in the region practiced their own rich tattoo traditions, marking identity, status, and spiritual significance. The city’s commercial tattoo scene, however, was built by hustlers, sailors, and craftsmen who plied their trade in back alleys, rooming houses, and arcades—long before tattooing was a mainstream art form. These pioneers laid the foundation for the thriving tattoo culture we know now, carving out a space in a city that was still finding its identity.
Rooming Houses & Hotels: The Tattoo Shops of the Past
If you were looking to get tattooed in Vancouver in the early 20th century, you weren’t walking into a polished shop with curated flash on the walls. Tattooers set up shop in cheap rooming houses, lodging houses, and hotels—places not only offering affordable rent but also housing a steady stream of itinerant workers. Labourers, tradesmen, fishermen, teamsters, longshoremen, sawmill workers, and loggers filled these spaces, providing tattooers with a constant flow of clients fresh off the docks and job sites.
Some of the most notable tattooers who worked in these setups were:
- Herbert Rowe – Around 1905, he worked out of the Sedney Rooms at 52 East Hastings St. A skilled artist with a penchant for classic Western designs, Rowe catered to sailors and drifters looking to mark their travels.
- Horishiyo – Around 1908, he set up shop on Cordova St and Carrall at the Spokane Rooming House, bringing traditional Japanese tattooing into Vancouver’s early scene.
- George Johnson – Around 1908, he operated out of 60 Cordova Street West. Johnson was one of the many tattooers blending Western flash with hand-poked techniques.
Tattooing was still an underground trade at this point—unregulated and often viewed as something reserved for criminals, sailors, and outcasts. But the demand was there, and these artists kept the industry alive in small, dimly lit rooms, taking cash for quick, bold tattoos that lasted a lifetime.
The Old Beachcomber and Madame Blondy: Unconventional Tattooists
Not all tattooists worked from rooming houses or hotels. Some, like the Old Beachcomber, operated from even more unconventional spaces. In the 1910s, the Old Beachcomber tattooed from a floating shack near Vancouver’s sugar refinery, using hand-poked methods rather than electric machines. His rustic workspace was a reminder of tattooing’s roots in the margins of society.
Another unique figure was Madame Blondy, one of the earliest documented female tattooists in Canada. In 1913, Blondy advertised her services from a second-floor room in the Holden Building on East Hastings Street. Her offerings included tattooing and the removal of birthmarks by electricity, showcasing the diverse skills of early tattoo artists. Blondy’s presence in Vancouver’s tattoo history is a testament to the growing diversity of the industry, even in its early days.
The Rise of Penny Arcades: Tattooing Goes Public
By the 1910s and 1920s, tattooing began to shift from private spaces to more public venues: penny arcades. These bustling entertainment hubs, filled with games, shooting galleries, and photo booths, became the new home for tattoo artists. The move to arcades marked a turning point for tattooing in Vancouver, as it became more accessible to a broader audience.
Two of the most famous arcades were the Wellington Arcade and Chapman’s Arcade, both located on the south side of East Hastings Street between Columbia Ave. and Main St. These venues were central to Vancouver’s tattoo scene for decades.
- Wellington Arcade: Operated from the early 1910s to the mid-1930s, the Wellington Arcade was home to tattooists like Hugh Smyth (also known as Robert Hugh Smithson), who worked there from 1914 to 1916. Smyth’s presence at the Wellington helped establish it as a hub for tattooing in Vancouver.
- Chapman’s Arcade: Just a few doors down from the Wellington, Chapman’s Arcade was another popular spot for tattooists. “Professor” Elias Captain Kidd worked there in the late 1910s, offering tattoos in “all colors” and promoting his services with classified ads. Later, Benjamin “Ben” Corday and Michael O’Connor tattooed from Chapman’s in the 1920s, further cementing its place in Vancouver’s tattoo history.
The shift to arcades allowed tattooists to reach a wider audience, including women and middle-class customers. It also reflected the growing acceptance of tattooing as a form of entertainment and self-expression.
The Great Depression and the Tattoo Trade
By the 1930s, tattooing in Vancouver—like much of the economy—felt the effects of the Great Depression. With fewer sailors passing through and disposable income scarce, many tattooers either left the trade or adapted by lowering prices and simplifying designs to attract clients. Some tattooers moved away from Vancouver, seeking better opportunities elsewhere, while others managed to scrape by, tattooing within the arcades or smaller rented spaces.
Despite economic hardships, tattooing in Vancouver persisted, laying the groundwork for the city’s later boom in tattoo culture. The resilience of these early tattooers ensured that, even in tough times, the tradition remained alive, ready to evolve with the next generation of artists.
Conclusion
Vancouver’s tattoo history is deeply rooted in its transient, working-class culture. From the lodging houses and hotels of the early 1900s to the arcades of the 1910s and ‘20s, tattooing adapted to the needs of the city’s ever-changing population. While the Great Depression slowed the industry down, it never killed it. These early pioneers, from Herbert Rowe to Michael O’Connor, built the foundation that would later make Vancouver a major tattoo destination.
Today’s tattoo artists in Vancouver stand on the shoulders of these early risk-takers—artists who made a living one tattoo at a time, long before the industry was mainstream. Their legacy is inked into the city’s history, as permanent as the tattoos they left behind.
Note: All information in this post comes from Needlework by Jamie Jelenski—an awesome book on Canadian commercial tattoo history that you should definitely check out!
