Sailor tattoos decoded

Tall ship sailor-turned-cartoonist Lucy Bellwood's gorgeous "The Art of the Sailor" is an informative guide to the meaning of sailor tattoos. It first appeared in Vancouver Maritime Museum's traveling exhibit, "Tattoos and Scrimshaw: the Art of the Sailor."

It's available as a signed and numbered letterpress print for $40:Gicli(C)e art prints are available directly from the artist for $15 to $20.

This site has vintage photos of some of these tats (and others).

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Previously: Buy a random permanent tattoo from this vending machine