Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Summer II/Section 013/John L. Walters

Overview:

John L. Walters was a tattoo artist based in Durham, North Carolina. He was interviewed by Leonard Rapport on February 25th, 1939 as part of the Federal Writers’ Project¹.

Biography:

Early Life:

John L. Walters was born around 1875 in Danville, Virginia, and was raised in Danville alongside his 4 siblings. At about 12 years of age, Walters assumed a larger role in his family after his father passed away². Walters began working as a busboy and then went on to tagging chewing tobacco. Walters’ family relocated to Durham just 2 years later, where Walters would take up carpentry, painting, and even worked in a cigarette factory³. Schooling was never really a priority for the family as they were simply trying to get by, so Walters never finished his education.

Tattoo Career:

Enticed by advertisements he’d seen in newspapers, Walters decided to enlist in the navy in 1900, right after the culmination of the Spanish-American War⁴. It was in the navy where Walters would discover his true passion in life: the art of tattooing⁵. Walters was always fond of drawing and painting as a kid, so it was fitting that his main career involved these crafts. After departing from the navy, Walters journeyed across cotton mill towns in Virginia and the Carolinas, performing tattoo art wherever it was demanded⁶. To draw attention, Walters would decorate his white navy suit with various different designs and perform rope walks in front of crowds. The most expensive tattoo Walters ever did was a battleship onto someone’s chest, performed on a fellow sailor⁷. The Great Depression eventually halted Walters’ business, but he was very accomplished in his profession by that time.

Relevant Issues:

Spanish-American War:

The Spanish-American War was a conflict between Spain and the United States during the presidency of William McKinley. Tensions between these 2 countries “had been strained over a period of years when Cuban rebels fought for independence”⁸ from the Spanish empire. Because of this, many government officials and media members saw a potential conflict between Spain as “an opportunity to seize other overseas possessions”⁹ from the European nation. In order to mobilize the public behind the war effort, journalists such as Joseph Pulitzer politicized the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine that happened off the coast of Cuba. Propaganda reiterating ‘Remember the Maine’ was spread throughout the United States, inspiring young men across the country to defend their country against foreign threats.

Child Labor in the Industrial South:

The second industrial revolution was key in helping many southern states rebuild their economies after the Civil War. In the state of Virginia, “tobacco manufacturing, flour and textile milling, and the processing of agricultural products”¹⁰ were seen as the foundation of the state’s economy. However, states such as Virginia relied heavily on child labor during the early stages of the second industrial revolution. During the late 19th and early 20th century, “young lads in urban areas often earned their living as newspaper carriers or as couriers... mills and glass factories regularly employed girls and boys.”¹¹ Little emphasis went towards schooling for children since they were expected to immediately provide for their family through strenuous labor. This business model that many key industries used proved to be incredibly exploitative as children were put in factories and mines that had little regard for safety. Eventually these methods were shut down through labor laws, but that didn’t revert the damage that was already done to millions of children.

During the 2nd industrial revolution, children were a large part of the labor force.

Tattoos in the Early 20th Century:

The art of tattooing has been around for a very long time, but the 20th century was where tattoos became integrated into mainstream society. Previously, “tattoos were hidden in the underbelly of society”¹², which would be referring to people such as criminals and sailors. While tattoos were “a set element in any sideshow of an American circus show”¹³, there still existed a stigma that implied tattoos were for society’s outcasts. After technological innovations made tattoos less painful and more accessible, many people began to make money as tattoo artists despite the stigma. Once Franklin D. Roosevelt’s social security program was introduced during the Great Depression, many citizens opted to permanently ink their social security numbers onto their bodies as a way to remember the number.

Bibliography:

Cloak and Dagger Tattoo Parlour London. 2018 “Tattoo Trends Through the Decades”. www.cloakanddaggerlondon.co.uk/tattoo-trends-decades-2/.

Hansen, Ib, and Dana Wegner. 1998. “Centenary of the Destruction of USS Maine : A Technical and Historical Review.” Naval Engineers Journal 110 (2): 93–104. https://doi.org/https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1998.tb03255.x.

Interview, Rapport, Leonard on John L. Walters, February 25, 1939, Folder 700, Federal Writing Project Papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill.

Schmid, Selma. 2014. “Tattoos – An Historical Essay.” Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 11 (6): 444–47. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.10.013.

Smithsonian National Museum of American History. “Spanish American War.” https://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/printable/section.asp?id=7

Virginia Museum of History & Culture. 2018. “Industrialization in Virginia.” https://www.virginiahistory.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/industrialization-virginia.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. January 2017. “History of child labor in the United States—part 1: little children working.” https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2017/article/history-of-child-labor-in-the-united-states-part-1.htm

References:

1. Interview, Rapport, Leonard on John L. Walters, February 25, 1939, Folder 700, Federal Writing Project Papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill.

2. Ibid., 9274

3. Ibid., 9274

4. Ibid., 9271

5. Ibid., 9271

6. Ibid., 9274

7. Ibid., 9284

8. Hansen, Ib, and Dana Wegner. 1998. “Centenary of the Destruction of USS Maine : A Technical and Historical Review.” Naval Engineers Journal 110 (2): 93–104. https://doi.org/https://doi-org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1111/j.1559-3584.1998.tb03255.x.

9. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. “Spanish American War.” https://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/printable/section.asp?id=7

10. Virginia Museum of History & Culture. 2018. “Industrialization in Virginia.” https://www.virginiahistory.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/industrialization-virginia.

11. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. January 2017. “History of child labor in the United States—part 1: little children working.” https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2017/article/history-of-child-labor-in-the-united-states-part-1.htm

12. Cloak and Dagger Tattoo Parlour London. 2018 “Tattoo Trends Through the Decades”. www.cloakanddaggerlondon.co.uk/tattoo-trends-decades-2/.

13. Schmid, Selma. 2014. “Tattoos – An Historical Essay.” Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease 11 (6): 444–47. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2013.10.013.