Horst Heinrich Streckenbach
Encyclopedia
Horst Heinrich Streckenbach "Tattoo Samy“ (August 5, 1925 - June 27, 2001) was a well-known German
tattoo artist
and historian of the medium, who had been tattooing since 1946. Streckenbach is considered important in the development of tattooing in Germany. With his student Manfred Kohrs
from Hanover
in Germany from 1974 - 1978 he developed a rotary tattoo machine and in 1975 the barbell
.
, and this was open for nearly 40 years. Samy tattooed several notable musicians, artists and celebrities of the time.
Over the years Samy went to the United States a number of times and frequently to Los Angeles to visit Jim Ward. On one of his first visits, he showed Ward the barbell studs that he used in some piercings. They were internally threaded, a feature that made so much sense that Ward immediately set out to recreate them for his own customers.
On the first National Convention at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, Colorado from 23–25 March 1979 Tattoo Samy made a slide presentation of tattooed people. The speakers on the convention were: Terry Wrigley, Peter Tat 2 Poulos, Diane Poulos, Don Ed Hardy, Bob Shaw (who even back then spoke about the importance of using Autoclaves and keeping you and your place clean), Big Walt Kilkucki, Painless Jeff Baker, Dave Yurkew, and Arnold Rubin & Jan Stussy.
Streckenbach, Kohrs and Terry Wrigley (1932–1999) -President of E.T.A.A-, present 17–19 October 1980 at Frankfurt the first "Tattoo Convention
" in Germany.
"The first barbells I recall came from Germany. Doug had made contact with Tattoo Samy, a tattooist and piercer from Frankfurt. Over the years Samy came to the States a number of times and frequently showed up in LA to visit Doug. On one of his first visits he showed us the barbell studs that he used in some piercings. They were internally threaded, a feature that made so much sense that I immediately set out to recreate them for my own customers."Jim Ward
Phil Andros
: "A german tattoist named Horst Heinrich Streckenbach invented a radically different tattoo pen , with each instrument containing its own small motor was attached an irregular camwheel that furnished the up and down movement."
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
tattoo artist
Tattoo artist
A tattoo artist is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a tattoo shop, tattoo studio or tattoo parlour...
and historian of the medium, who had been tattooing since 1946. Streckenbach is considered important in the development of tattooing in Germany. With his student Manfred Kohrs
Manfred Kohrs
Manfred Kohrs is a German tattooist and conceptual artist, who has been tattooing since 1974. He was a student of Horst Heinrich Streckenbach . Together they developed a rotary tattoo machine from 1974 - 1978 and the barbell piercing in 1975...
from Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
in Germany from 1974 - 1978 he developed a rotary tattoo machine and in 1975 the barbell
Barbell (piercing)
Barbell style piercing jewelry is composed of a straight bar and with a bead on each end, one or both beads unscrewable for removal and/or changing of the beads. Often one of the beads is fixed, either via epoxy or welding, so that only one bead is used to install or remove the jewelry...
.
Biographical and career information
Streckenbach was born in 1925 and grew up in Weißwasser, Schlesien, Germany. He got his first tattoo at the age of ten. In 1946, he began tattooing professionally. In 1947, he opened his own studio in FrankfurtFrankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, and this was open for nearly 40 years. Samy tattooed several notable musicians, artists and celebrities of the time.
Over the years Samy went to the United States a number of times and frequently to Los Angeles to visit Jim Ward. On one of his first visits, he showed Ward the barbell studs that he used in some piercings. They were internally threaded, a feature that made so much sense that Ward immediately set out to recreate them for his own customers.
On the first National Convention at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, Colorado from 23–25 March 1979 Tattoo Samy made a slide presentation of tattooed people. The speakers on the convention were: Terry Wrigley, Peter Tat 2 Poulos, Diane Poulos, Don Ed Hardy, Bob Shaw (who even back then spoke about the importance of using Autoclaves and keeping you and your place clean), Big Walt Kilkucki, Painless Jeff Baker, Dave Yurkew, and Arnold Rubin & Jan Stussy.
Streckenbach, Kohrs and Terry Wrigley (1932–1999) -President of E.T.A.A-, present 17–19 October 1980 at Frankfurt the first "Tattoo Convention
Convention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
" in Germany.
Innovations
Streckenbach and Kohrs pioneered many jewelry designs including the fixed bead ring and internally threaded barbells. Samy introduced Jim Ward to barbell style jewelry."The first barbells I recall came from Germany. Doug had made contact with Tattoo Samy, a tattooist and piercer from Frankfurt. Over the years Samy came to the States a number of times and frequently showed up in LA to visit Doug. On one of his first visits he showed us the barbell studs that he used in some piercings. They were internally threaded, a feature that made so much sense that I immediately set out to recreate them for my own customers."Jim Ward
Phil Andros
Phil Andros
Samuel Morris Steward , also known by the pen name Phil Andros, was a novelist and tattoo artist from Ohio, later based in Oakland, California.-Biography:...
: "A german tattoist named Horst Heinrich Streckenbach invented a radically different tattoo pen , with each instrument containing its own small motor was attached an irregular camwheel that furnished the up and down movement."