Sailor Jerry, born as Norman Keith Collins in 1911, was an iconic American tattoo artist whose influential style framed the traditional American tattoo. Because of the connection between the blossoming tattoo industry and sailors, Collins became known as Sailor Jerry for his work tattooing sailors. His style shaped the art of tattooing in America and helped popularize the art form. Additionally, his innovations within the trade made him both recognizable and infamous as an artist.

Some of the most common tattoos that are seen today are Sailor Jerry tattoos. They are classic or traditional that are rooted in the life of sailors at the turn of the century. Collins himself served in the United States Navy and tattooed countless USN sailors, leading to his decision to devote his life to creating some amazing pieces of skin art.

The images have little detail but bold, bright color and incredible significance. Many styles have these attributes, but once you see one of the many Sailor Jerry tattoos out there, you will always recognize them. In fact, even some designs that are not necessarily Sailor Jerry tats do have some of those same attributes simply because Mr. Collins has influenced so many tattoo artists around the globe. There’s a good chance that you have seen at least a couple of Sailor Jerry-inspired tattoos in your lifetime even if you didn’t know what a Sailor Jerry tattoo was.

Even though the images themselves hold their own meanings, those made by Jerry or anyone who studied under him have always had at least a little bit of rebelliousness to them. That’s because those original tattoos made by Sailor Jerry were always known for having an equal amount of humor and edge since they were so different than the vast majority of other tattoo designs that were out in the world.