Big Dipper and Flying Skull

Charissa Ruth is a freelance educator working primarily in museums. 

Here's what she had to say about her tattoos:

I love museums (as do probably most people who work in museums). To me museums are a reminder of just how amazing the world we live in is. 

My family didn't visit too many museums growing up, but we did make it our business to stop into Civil War battlefield sites and old churches whenever possible. My dad is both a church historian and a Civil War buff. 

I was first introduced to the image of a skull with wings in the many cemeteries we visited as part of our old churches field trips. The skull with wings was a popular symbol used on tombstones in colonial America and was known as "Death's Head." For that time, death was a much more regular occurrence and it had not yet become popular or acceptable to use more flowery or sweet images such as flowers, cherubs, and crosses. I like this practical approach; death comes for us all so let's face it head on. 

The Big Dipper constellation also has historical significance. For those familiar with the history and stories surrounding the Underground Railroad, the Big Dipper constellation was a trick for finding the North Star which pointed North and North meant freedom.

The people who traveled that road as well as the "conductors" and people who offered shelter knew the risk involved- fines, violence, repercussions. If families or individuals were found aiding runaway slaves, homes were burned, families ostracized, disowned, possessions seized, jail time was served Everyone involved lived in fear of being discovered. 

And yet, the Underground Railroad covered hundreds of miles and helped untold number of people. Like those persons who hid Jews during World War II, they did a courageous thing. They harbored those that were hunted. They overcame their fears and their doubts to put others before themselves. Others who may never be able to pay them back, others who they may never see again.

So for me, the constellation is a reminder to be brave. When the chips are down, when it really counts, will I also rise to the occasion to do what's right? Will I also be able to look death in the face if need be?

Both tattoos done by Ryan Roi at Triple Diamond Tattoo in Brooklyn, NY. 

Photos courtesy of Jon Mayer

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Florida Tattoo

Jen Elliott,  a Museum Educator in School and Teacher Programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum was kind enough to share the story of her subtle, but meaningful, tattoo:

My tattoo is fairly straightforward, but means a great deal. I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and then went to college in Gainesville, Florida before moving up north for grad school and the inevitable job hunt. I visit as often as I can - seeing family, dear friends, and hitting the beach - but I'm slowly realizing that the chances of going back and settling are decreasing the longer I live and work in NY/NJ. So now I have home with me...

This is my first tattoo and I love it! It was done by Mandy Fabrizi at Clockwork Tattoo in Lyndhurst, NJ.

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Sugar Skull

I have many tattoos, this is 1 of 11. I love skulls and to celebrate my roots (I'm from Mexico), I decided to get a Mexican sugar skull tattoo. This is not yet finished, but soon it will have bright colors.

Karla Hernandez
PROBEA Administrative Coordinator
San Diego Natural History Museum

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

For Christmas in 2005, my son gave me a gift certificate for a tattoo. In January 2006, he went with me to have it done. I keep wondering how many sons would do that for their mother? Anyway, I have always found dragonflies to be kind of magical and there are a lot of different kinds where I live.  I like being outdoors (I should be at a natural history museum instead of Archaeology!) surrounded by trees, birds, butterflies, flowers and dragonflies.  I take long walks in the woods with my Border Collie, who is another one if my passions.

Kate Carras
Kelsey Museum of Anthropology

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

I had been wanting a tattoo for years, but couldn’t settle on the design, having several stored up in my mind, on paper, bookmarked online and in books.  I picked up a book on Vintage Tattoos and came across the flash of Bert Grimm.  Many had a military or patriotic themes as he tattooed quite a few servicemen.  I’ve been collecting militaria, particularly WWII items and am keen on “V for Victory” as it was a rally cry for both the military and civilians during the war.  “V”s could be found gracing many ads, business cards and homes, in addition to being made out of silver and gold jewelry.  

Both of my grandfathers being veterans of WWII, they would have known what a simple “V” stood for at a time that helped and influenced them to become the men they did.  So, this design proved to bring so much more together then at first glance.  It serves to honor them and their comrades as well as having a piece of 1940s flash art from one of the foremost tattoo artist of his generation.  I’ve enjoyed carrying it on me for about 3 years now and talking about it with anyone who simply wants to know “why I did that”.

Matthew A. Mickletz

Supervisor, Preventive Conservation

Winterthur Museum

Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Bouquet of Wire Flowers

Although I didn't do so well in undergrad art history, I did discover a love for Alexander Calder. In 2013, as part of a hair/blog project (changingthelocks.com), I decided to get another tattoo. Scouring Calder books, I found this image:

Apparently, it was a gift. The caption reads, "When she was in the hospital, Calder visited and left on her bedside a bouquet of wire flowers (fig. 63), explaining that they would last longer than the real things." The flowers on me represent my family—me and my babes: 

Having done museum exhibits for years on a variety of topics, a new job has me faced with art for the first time. I'll draw inspiration from my ink.

Beth Kaminsky
Exhibit Coordinator
Denver International Airport


Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.

Space/Ships

Dan Bramos was kind enough to share some images of his tattoos and the stories behind them.

My story is reversed. I had the ink and then became a museum guy.

In 2011, I retired from the Navy after 21 years. Over my career, I traveled to many places, some pretty cool, most not very cool at all. On my travels, I picked up some mostly sub-par tattoos. Once I retired, I decided to do better with my ink, especially not having to make it on just a Sailor's income.

In addition to being a Sailor, I've been a space, spaceflight, science, and science fiction enthusiast my entire life. I grew up knowing that I was born on the day Apollo 16 splashed down, but what really kicked it into gear was watching Columbia launch for the first time. I was nine, drew a picture, wrote a letter and sent it to NASA. Very shortly, I received a letter and autographed picture from John Young and Bob Crippen. That sealed the deal. I've been a space geek ever since.

Through my Navy career, I've been privileged to work with a lot of great Sailors and Officers, a few of whom have gone on to be astronauts that I've kept in contact with.

Early in the summer of 2013, my wife and I were looking for an above average tattoo shop and found Lucky Bird Tattoo in Annapolis, Maryland. I sat down with Tyler McKinney and explained that I wanted something that combined my naval career and love of space. The sailing ship encompasses my time underway, the wings and engines on the ship are representative of the time I spent working on all kinds of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft.

I told Tyler to fill in the rest with a space-scape, which he did entirely freehand. My only request was that he use the Butterfly Nebula in there somewhere since it's my favorite pic from the Hubble Telescope.

This past year, I met a couple of gentlemen that were working on opening a spaceflight museum in Southern Maryland. I took the opportunity to volunteer and put some hours in to help get it ready. Now, after a year I'm the Operations Manager (which really means I'm the head box mover and astronaut impersonator) of the Spaceflight America Museum and Science Center in Prince Frederick, Maryland. We'll be having our Grand Opening on May 29th and 30th, 2015 in just over a month! The SAMSC is located in the Arthur Storer Planetarium at 500 Fox Run Rd. and specializes in STEM activities with a concentration on manned spaceflight.

Thanks for sharing your Museum People's Tattoo story, Dan --- and Good luck with the opening of SAMSC!



Want to share your own story and tattoo?
Email Beth: bredmondjones (at) sdnhm (dot) org or Paul: info (at) orselli (dot) net.