November 16, 2022
Shanghai Kate – America’s Tattoo Godmother
Today marks a sad day in American tattoo history with the passing of Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand, who was widely considered America’s Tattoo Godmother. She had worked in the tattoo industry for nearly 50 years. In addition, Kate collaborated with some of the greatest tattoo legends including Sailor Jerry Collins, Frank Paul Rogers, Huck Spaulding, Ed Hardy, Zeke Owens on Jack Rudy. She had the longest career of any female artist in the US. Kate was deeply passionate about preserving tattoo history. An award-winning tattoo artist and writer, her history in the tattoo industry is inspiring to all.
Early Years and Inspirations
Shanghai Kate was exposed to tattoos at a very young age, when her grandmother would take her to circuses and carnivals. From here, her grandmother encouraged Kate to interact with the circus workers. It was here she’d observe the ink of circus freaks. Only one member of her family had tattoos, her Uncle Jim, who was a long-distance truck driver who’d infrequently stop at her family’s farm in Utah while driving across the country. Shanghai Kate saw tattooing as a freedom – all things considered – an ability to go anywhere at any time.
Start of Artistic Career
Beginning her artistic career, Shanghai Kate attended ArtCenter College of Design and Chouinard Art Institue. Kate had achieved her dreams of working in advertising in New York. It was here she met Michael Malone, aka Rollo Banks. They both had a fascination for tattoos. They began investigating and documenting tattooing. While working in American Folk Art Museum in 1971, Kate became aware of the museum’s interest in exhibiting a show around tattoos. She then introduced the museum’s curator, Bert Hemphill, to Malone. Hemphill had viewed the collection of investigations by Michael and Kate. As a result, he granted them a space within the museum to curate an exhibition named “Tattoo!” The museum constructed a replica of Huck Spauling’s tattoo studio in the front window of the museum. This led to five detectives showing up with arrest documents – because tattooing was illegal New York.
After the exhibition, Michael opened a studio in their little apartment called Catfish Studio. It was here, that Kate, who started as a hostess, tattooed her first client. When asked by Tommy King to do a piece on him, Kates response was “No, I dont want to be Yoko Ono” in fear of being the woman blamed for breaking up “the boys club.” At the time, she had only known of two female tattoo artists – Cindy Ray in Australia and Rusty Skuse in England. After her third tattoo, Kate had realized her passion for tattooing, saying ” It was then that I realized that this was the magic tool I had been searching for my whole life… the tool that could take me away from my conscious environments and put me in a realm where time and space ceases to exist… where every creative person seeks.”
Rise of Tattooing
What Kate hadn’t anticipated, was the raise of client interest in a female artist. In some eyes, she was seen as a novelty. She found many men would bring their wives to get tattoos by Kate as there was an alarming rate of sexual predators in the world of tattooing. Although it was not always easy, and she did receive threats and was even attacked for being a woman in the industry.
Soon after beginning her career in the tattoo industry, Shanghai Kate had begun working in different parts of the country. She briefly worked in Honolulu, Hawaii with Sailor Jerry Collins, whom she considered to be a mentor. Moreover, they remained friends until his death. Later, she opened her own studio in Austin, Texas called Shanghai Kate’s Tattoos. To date, Kate had the longest running career of any female tattoo artist in North America. Because of her troubles as a female tattoo artist, Kate often mentored younger female artist and cared deeply about preserving tattoo history. She frequented tattoo conventions and gave talks about the evolution of tattoos. In addition, Kate published books of Sailor Jerry’s stencils. She had brushed elbows with nearly every major founder in tattoo history. Shanghai Kate will be remembered as a pioneer herself. May America’s Tattoo Godmother rest in peace.
Links:
Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand – Wikipedia
Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand (@shanghaikate) • Instagram photos and videos
Books by Kate Hellenbrand | Book Depository
Exclusive Interview: Shanghai Kate Hellenbrand – “America’s Tattoo Godmother” – Tattoo.com
Who was Sailor Jerry? | Norman Keith Collins (cesargiovannyperez.com)
