Stoney Knows How is a visit with a master of the oldest art in the world - Tattooing. Disabled by rheumatoid arthritis since the age of four, and forced to use a wheelchair, his growth stunted, Stoney St. Clair (1912 - 1980) joined the circus at 15 as a sword-swallower. A year later, he learned to tattoo, and for the next 50 years, he continued to work as a tattooist traveling with circus and carnivals across the country. As we watch him at work, we see the determination which led Stoney to overcome his handicap to heal himself and others with the magic of symbols. The film ends with a visit by New School master tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy who pays Stoney the highest compliment by asking him for a souvenier tattoo. For more information on the life of Leonard L. "Stoney" St. Clair, see Alan Govenar, Stoney Knows How: Life as a Sideshow Tattoo Artist", Schiffer Publishing, 2003.
FolkStreams » Stoney Knows How
this video is awesome.
takes a while.
be patient.
tom you sent me this a year ago
i lagged. thanks man.-- max
very inspiring.
ReplyDeletegot the dvd. very cool piece of tattoo history. thanks for putting this up. stoney rules!
ReplyDeletecircus,
ReplyDeletewhere did you get the DVD?
Very cool Max, thanks for sharing this. The guy is a definite inspiration.
ReplyDeleteits a really cool story, stoney was awesome seemed like the kind of guy that was always in a good mood no matter what. i think you can get the dvd at book mistress.
ReplyDeletefuckin rad...........
ReplyDeleteHis shop was down the street and round the corner from where i live here in killumbus oh. Never got there, wish I did.
ReplyDeletei think durb morris has most of the stuff that was in his shop now, you might wanna check with him, it would be some pretty cool stuff to see.
ReplyDeletethanks dave
ReplyDeleteI saw this many years ago. I'm orginally from Ohio and he was a local Columbus tattoo hero. I actually have the novel Stoney Knows How, an old small hardcover novel, I was forced to read during my apprenticeship.
ReplyDeletedude knew how to live life
ReplyDeleteDid you notice the Xenia water tower when they were on their way to the Kilkare dirt oval? Xenia is the city that Alien Workshop took a P.O. Box out in to seem super mysterious.
ReplyDeleteVery cool story though, that Stoney sure could tell a tale!
Thanks for putting that up Max.
ReplyDelete