What is the
Cincinnati Tattoo Map?
the map project
Initially, the Cincinnati Tattoo Map started as a straightforward social media study, attempting to plot out the tattoo shops, studios, and artists of the greater Cincinnati area. It quickly morphed into a historical research project, collaborative art study, and survey of the oral and written history of the scene.
The primary purpose of the project is still mapping out the greater Cincinnati tattoo scene. But taking a step further, I would like to chart out the styles of tattoo across the city– who is doing which style at which shop? Are there clusters around town of a certain style not present elsewhere? These are questions I would like to try to provide some sort of answer to.
I would also like to document and compile the history of the tattoo scene in Cincinnati. Individual writings exist on certain topics (“what was the first tattoo parlor in Cincinnati,” “when did tattooing ‘take off’ in the city,” etc), but to my knowledge there isn’t an archive of all of this in one place. It’s my goal to amass all of this in one place for tattoo artist and collector alike who want to know more about the past.
In short, this project is a celebration and inquiry of tattooing in the Cincinnati area, past and present.
SPECIAL THANKS
This project is a collaboration with artists and collectors alike, and as such it would be impossible to complete without the helpful people who have contributed ideas and support along the way. That said, I would like to offer thanks to Dana Brunson, Dani Ray, Drew Gehring, Jazz Chao, Kyle Mitchell, and Mike Mayfield, as well as the artists of Higher Love Tattoo, and Pink Palace Tattoo.
About the mapper
My name is Gage Roberts, I received my Master of Science in Geographic Information Science (GIS) in 2024, and a bachelor's degree in Zoology (minors in History and Japanese Language) in 2020. I have a lifelong interest in tattooing, and after getting a half-sleeve done while studying in Japan for a semester, I decided to pursue a full Japanese traditional suit. After seven years, I completed this suit at Dark Stallion Tattoo in Cincinnati. I wanted to celebrate this personal accomplishment by tackling this project, with the hopes that I do the history and culture of the Cincinnati tattoo scene some justice while compiling all of these resources in one place.
