Lady Lenora, Tattooed Tattoo-ess
By Carmen Nyssen
Lady tattooer Lenora Platt has been undeservedly overlooked in tattoo history.
As possibly the only early twentieth century women tattoo artist who made a living by the needle without the safeguard of a husband/male partner, she deserves better mention.
The attractive, “Lenora” (born Mary Matilda Platt in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1883), set her mind to becoming both a tattooed lady and tattoo artist sometime before 1912. At the start of her career, she traveled with various carnivals, and in between seasons set up in dime museums. Her course changed once World War I hit.
World War I
At the time, Lenora was trouping with the John M. Sheesley Shows, which had set up in Navy-town Norfolk, Virginia for the winter months. While in the area, she made herself at home tattooing an onslaught of nearby-stationed soldiers and sailors in her Newport News tattoo shop on Washington Avenue. (Sheesley attraction, Sir Edward-the man with abnormal self-control, helped in her shop).
She fared very well despite the fact that her across-the-bay competition in Norfolk were a couple of the best-known tattooers in the trade —the famed Elmer Getchell and Harry Lawson. There was also Jim Wilson as well as Cap Coleman, another Sheesley trouper who had settled in the city to cash in on business.
1918 Jan 19 Billboard (pg. 64):
Lenora Platt, the lady tattoo artist, is spending a week in Tampa, and will look over the Johnny J. Jones winter quarters before leaving Florida. Lenora made a nice little B.R. [bank roll] at Newport News tattooing the soldier boys.”
What the male tattooers thought of her presence isn’t known. But the “anomaly” of a sole-operating lady tattooer seems to have thrown at least one person for a loop.
In January of 1918, a Sgt. Hill reported the 100% American Lenora as a German spy to war-time authorities in Norfolk; he probably thought her conspicuously “out of place.” Having no merit, however, the case was readily dismissed.
Norfolk’s Lady Needler
Lenora soon after found a niche tattooing in Norfolk. From World War I on, she trouped with carnivals and set up shop in the city during the off-season, where over the years she ran shops at 1020 E. Main, 1015 E. Main, and 511 ½ E. Main. According to a 1927 article by Albert Parry, she was “Strictly speaking ……the only professional woman tattoo-artist in the States, her shop being a permanent landmark of Norfolk.”
As demonstrated by the below 1919 Billboard ad, Lenora was decidedly proud of her position in the male-dominated world of tattooing, and successful enough that she required the assistance of a couple of like-minded ladies.
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She apparently gave her male cohorts a run for their money too. In 1920, fellow Norfolk tattoo artist E.J. Miller also placed an ad in Billboard, inquiring after a lady tattoo partner to join him in his shop.
Novelty of a Lady Tattooer
In Lenora’s time, getting tattooed by a woman tattoo artist was no doubt a novelty for (mostly male) customers and was probably a big business draw. But given her 18 or so years (1912ish-1930ish) in the profession, ability had something to do with it. Not to mention, grit.
She must have had a certain tough-touch. Though she married several times, none of her husbands were tattoo artists, and she didn’t stay married long to any of them during her time in the tattoo game. In this era of tattooing, it’s likely Lenora suffered ample discrimination and unsolicited shenanigans because of a perceived vulnerability —from both cohorts and customers.
Norfolk ‘Til the End
As a credit to her mighty resolve, Lenora additionally persevered in the tattoo trade while battling several serious illnesses. During bouts of sickness, she often sought treatment in her home state, Pennsylvania, and sometimes afterwards tattooed there for a short while. Yet she always returned to Norfolk, her tattoo home. In fact, after her illness-forced retirement around 1930, there she remained.
As fate would have it, when Lenora died in Norfolk on October 28, 1960 she was fittingly buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery amongst a number of her male colleagues, including the great Cap Coleman, E.J. Miller, and Andy Stuertz.
Questions or Comments? Email:
carmennyssen@buzzworthytattoo.com
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