Original Fred Marquand Drawing

Fred Marquand (1905–1988) grew up in Bellingham, Washington, and showed an early eye for art. Bellingham’s waterfront was filled with tattooed sailors, and Fred was immediately drawn to them. By the age of twelve, he was hand-poking tattoos on himself and others. In 1920, Marquand acquired his first tattoo machine and set up a shop in his parents’ home. He continued tattooing into the 1940s, though he maintained a part-time job to help make ends meet. He married in 1942, and when children entered the marriage, Marquand gave up tattooing and took a full-time position at the local shipyard. This transition marked the beginning of a second artistic chapter in his life, focused on leather carving and playing the bagpipes.
For more on Fred Marquand, see Electric Tattooing: Experienced Work by Nick Ackman.
Pencil drawing  9 × 12 inches