Lyle Tuttle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lyle Tuttle
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Lyle Gilbert Tuttle
October 7, 1931 Chariton, Iowa, U.S.
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| Died | March 25, 2019 (aged 87) Ukiah, California, U.S.
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| Occupation | Tattoo artist |
| Years active | 1940s–1990s |
| Spouse(s) | Judy Aurre Betty Lawson |
| Children | one |
Lyle Gilbert Tuttle (October 7, 1931 – March 26, 2019) was a famous American tattoo artist. He was also a historian who studied the art of tattooing. Lyle Tuttle started tattooing in 1949. He tattooed many well-known people, including singers like Janis Joplin and Cher. He also tattooed Paul Stanley and Jo Baker, along with other musicians and actors.
Contents
The Life of Lyle Tuttle
Early Life and First Tattoo
Lyle Tuttle was born in Chariton, Iowa, on October 7, 1931. He grew up in Ukiah, California. Lyle said his parents were "conservative Iowa farmers." However, they let him think for himself.
When he was fourteen, Lyle visited San Francisco. There, he bought his very first tattoo. It cost him about $3.50. The tattoo was a heart with the word "Mother" inside it. He saw the design on the shop wall and decided to get it.
A Career in Tattooing
In 1949, Lyle Tuttle began tattooing as his job. He opened his first tattoo studio in San Francisco in 1954. This first shop stayed open for 35 years. Lyle tattooed many famous people there. These included Janis Joplin, Cher, Jo Baker, and members of the Allman Brothers band. He also tattooed Peter Fonda and Paul Stanley.
Lyle tattooed people on all seven continents. He himself got tattoos on six continents. He was careful never to tattoo anyone under 18 years old. Lyle became very famous in the tattoo world. Some other tattoo artists didn't always agree with his public statements. They also sometimes disliked how he promoted himself. When Lyle Tuttle was on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1970, it caused some talk.
Lyle also taught classes at tattoo conventions. He taught how to take care of and build tattoo machines. His first shop where he worked for Bert Grimm was in Long Beach, California. After tattooing in Anchorage, Alaska and Fairbanks, Alaska, he opened a new shop in San Francisco in 1960. This shop was open for almost 30 years. It closed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged the building. Later, the shop reopened as a studio and museum.
Tattooing Around the World
Lyle Tuttle officially stopped working in 1990. But he still often went to tattoo conventions worldwide. Sometimes, he would even tattoo his signature on a friend.
On January 21, 2014, Lyle Tuttle achieved a special goal. He became the first person to tattoo on all seven continents. He set up a temporary tattoo station in Antarctica. This was at a scientist's guesthouse at the Russian Bellingshausen Station. There, he tattooed his signature on Anna Felicity Friedman, a tattoo historian. This was a long-time goal for Lyle. He said he was lucky to have had a great time in tattooing. He thought, "Why not do it? It's there!"
His Legacy
In March 2019, doctors found a growth in Lyle Tuttle's throat. He was receiving special care at the time. On March 26, 2019, he passed away at age 87. He died in the same home in Ukiah where he grew up. Lyle Tuttle was known for being "practically covered in tattoos, himself." He left behind a big mark on the world of tattooing.
Images for kids
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Lyle Tuttle in October 2018, with a picture of German tattoo artist Horst Streckenbach.
