Oral History Tattoo Mystery: The Brothers Kamarit
Written & Researched by Carmen Forquer Nyssen
Since the day Carmen obtained her copy of Lyle Tuttle’s Tattoo Historian No. 1, in 2012, and read Bert Grimm’s oral history recollections in Barrs Noble’s ‘T.A.B.C.’ article (pg. 9, 36), she has been trying to unravel the mystery of the Kamarit brothers. The findings, and/or lack of, have only proven that oral history, in tattooing especially, makes research a bit tricky.
To begin with, the particulars of Grimm’s account in Noble’s interview are a little askew. He either mistakenly relayed his friend Kamarit’s real name as “Cameron” or the interviewer misheard him and spelled it incorrectly. Adding to complications, Grimm noted that Kamarit used the alias “Frank Kelly,” a rather generic name that may or may not apply to several characters in tattoo history. Between having the wrong name and the tenuous alias, figuring out Kamarit’s real name and identifying him in records wasn’t straightforward. But the names alone weren’t the confusion. In sussing out Kamarit’s history, it was learned that he also had a brother, whose life circumstances and name also fit those outlined in Grimm’s tale—whether one Kamarit or both tattooed is the mystery that still stands.
Update! Since the original post, Frank Kamarit’s daughter has been in contact and said the two Kamarit brothers looked very much alike, as seen in family photos. At first, she didn’t think her father was the tattooed man with the wreath tattoo around his neck, but a photo of him as an older man reveals otherwise. Both Frank and Anton tattooed in St. Louis and were friends with Bert Grimm. And Frank Kamarit is the one who also went by Frank Kelly. (Read the rest of the original post below).
Kamarit Tattoo Clues
In 2014, a photo of six tattoo artists pictured in William Grimshaw’s San Antonio, Texas tattoo shop circulated in the collecting world. It had a notation identifying the upper, rightmost tattoo artist in the photo as “F. Kamaret.” In the Tattoo Historian article, Grimm identified the same person, in a duplicate photo without notations, as his friend “Frank Kelly.” Matching up the images and the names, despite the misspellings, is what led to the discovery of the Kamarit brothers from Chicago.
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According to Grimm’s Tattoo Historian interview, the aforementioned “Frank Kelly” set up in East St. Louis after departing San Antonio. True to Grimm’s word, a tattooer by the name of Anton Kamarit is indeed listed in the 1924 East St. Louis City Directory.
1924 East St. Louis City Directory pg. 225
Anton Kamarit tattooer -19 Collinsville r 22 N Main
Kamarit’s Chicago Tattoo Days
Further sleuthing in records traced Anton back to Chicago, living with his family there until 1920. Grimm, in another interview, said that Chicago is precisely where he met his friend Kamarit (“Jack Kelly” in this version), and tattooed him all over except for his neck flower wreath—that design was hand-poked by old-time Chicago tattooer Albert “Dutch” Herman (aka Old Dutch, New York Dutch, or Chicago Dutch).
As Grimm told it, he and “Kelly” broke into the trade at the same time in the Windy City, and met William Grimshaw, who gave them a few instructions and later let them work in his San Antonio tattoo shop.
Kamarit’s neck flower wreath tattooed by early Chicago tattooer Albert “Dutch” Herman.
Grimm-Kamarit-Grimshaw
As is often the case with oral history, Grimm’s stories include enough familiarity with specific circumstances to be taken as truth, in part. Yet some of the supporting details of his Kamarit-Grimshaw story are a bit muddled. In the Tattoo Historian interview, Grimm claimed that he ended up at Grimshaw’s shop in San Antonio upon finishing a season with the Mighty Doris Shows c. 1917 or 1918, and reunited with his six tattooer friends, including “Frank Kelly.”
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The kernel of truth that can be documented is that Grimshaw was the one with this carnival after being in Chicago, but in 1920. And, it was only after that year’s show season that he set up his marvel of a tattoo studio in San Antonio on West Houston Street. If Grimm was there along with the others, it would have been at this time or within the next year or so, not 1917-1918.
1920 Jan 16 Census Chicago, Cook, IL 1350 Madison St
William Grimshaw 39 b. England Arrived in 1905 (alien) painter-signs
Agnes 29 b. NY
Marie 13 b. IL
Mildred 9 b. CT1920 Nov 13 Billboard
“Prof. W. Grimshaw, tattoo artist, the past season with the Mighty Doris and Southwestern Exposition Shows, closed at Greenville, Tex., and went to San Antonio, where he had established a tattooing studio which is said to be quite unique, the walls being covered with rare antiques, relics, rare skins, furs and pieces of art, while the outside is also lavishly decorated. “Tis comfy, cozy and classy, according to reports.”1921 San Antonio (TX) City Dir pg 403
W Grimshow [sic], tattooing, 420 1/2 W Houston, r208 E Pecan
The 1920 city directory lists Grimshaw’s shop at 420 1/2 W. Houston, but Eddy’s photo states it was at 520 W. Houston. At this point it’s unclear if No. 520 was yet another shop Grimshaw operated, or if he only had the one shop in the city and the No. 520 address was noted/remembered incorrectly on the photo. Grimshaw was located at the No. 420 ½ tattoo shop by 1921. By 1922, Harry Lawson had taken this location over.
Kamarit Tattoo Mystery Unfolds
Regardless of Grimm’s mix-ups in his passed-on tales, his stories leave no doubt that he was acquainted with Kamarit, the person he called “Frank” or “Jack Kelly.” Also, at least one person named Kamarit was an active player in the tattoo scene, as a tattoo artist and tattooed man, in the 1920s and 1930s. Still, there is a question of whether Grimm’s Kamarit friend is Anton or his brother Frank?
As already established, Anton J. Kamarit (1902-1940) was most definitely a tattoo artist. But “Frank Kamarit ” (1900-1970), the name of his brother, is the one that first appears in records, on the 1920 ‘Letter List’ in Billboard Magazine. To make matters more confusing, from there on out, both names show up in listings, often concurrently.
Billboard Magazine Letter Lists for the 1922 and 1923 season mention: Anton Kamarit, A.J. Kamarit, and F. Kamarit. Additionally, Billboard Magazine ads for the same years— and on—sometimes give no first name or the name “Prof. Frank Kamarit.”
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The ads for a “Frank Kamarit” place in him in St. Louis at Joseph L. Steinett’s 1524 Market Street shooting gallery.
1923 Aug 4 Billboard pg. 105
“Importers and Manufacturers of Tattooing Supplies. Price list on request. Kamarit, 1524 Market St., St. Louis, Missouri.”1925 Apr 25 St. Louis Star and Times pg. 10
“Tattooing-Artistically and expertly done; rates reasonable. Prof. Frank Kamarit, 1524 market st.”
Meanwhile, within the same period as the above notices, an “Anton Kamarit” is listed in directories and Billboard Magazine ads as a tattooer, but is instead noted as working across the river in East St. Louis at 19 Collinsville.
1924 East St. Louis City Dir pg. 225
Anton Kamarit tattooer 19 Collinsville r 22 N Main1926 Mar 6 Billboard pg. 57
“For Sale-Complete Tattooing Outfit, cheap. A. Kamarit, 19 Collinsville Ave., East St. Louis”
To compound the mystery further, there actually was a “Prof. Kelly” working in St. Louis around this time, partnered with Sailor Jack Payne at 1305 Market Street.
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It’s unclear if this Kelly was one of the Kamarits or someone else altogether. In fact, given all the “Kamarit,” rather than “Kelly,” listings, it’s quite possible the Kamarit Grimm knew didn’t go by the name “Frank Kelly” at all; perhaps his memory on this count had faltered.
1920s Mid: Police Gazette
“Tattooing Machines-All Supplies. Send for price list. Sailor Jack and Prof. Kelly. 1305 Market St., St. Louis, Missouri aug23”
Oral History in Tattooing
By no means does the confusion end with the names. In the Tattoo Historian article, Grimm’s oral history account of Kamarit’s St. Louis days is relayed as such:
“Kelly under pressure from his new wife, soon changed careers, becoming a machinist.”
As it happens, the circumstances of Anton and Frank’s lives parallel each other all too closely. Both their names drop from any tattoo related records within a short time of each other; they married within a couple years of each other in this same period; and they both took up machinery work, like Grimm said.
Together with the interchanging names, the coincidences in Grimm’s handed down story exemplifies the sometimes ambiguous nature of oral history. In the case of the brothers Kamarit, there are still unanswered questions. At the same time, Grimm’s tale fleshes out a specific era in tattooing with real life characters. Without oral history we might only be left with names and dates. Lucky for us, Bert Grimm, and many other tattooers, were avid storytellers.
The oral history thread in tattooing reinforces traditions and moods of yesterday: of how tattooers broke into the trade, how their paths crossed regularly via carnivals and hub cities, and how they interacted with and/or were viewed by fellow tattooers.
Anton Kamarit, St. Louis Tattooer
This brings us back to our main inquiry: were both Anton and Frank Kamarit tattoo artists/tattooed men? With the limited information, the possibility remains. I’d very much like to confirm one way or the other, of course. But, in assessing all the clues, I’m leaning towards Anton as the brother who Grimm knew—the one depicted in photos—and possibly the only Kamarit who was a tattooer.
Firstly, Grimm only ever referred to one person being his pal Kamarit, aka Frank or Jack Kelly, and he identified him in the Grimshaw photo.
Secondly, assuming Grimm’s memory is accurate, his one friend went by an alias that incorporated the name Frank, which lends to the possibility that Anton borrowed his brother’s first name. This leads to the last line of reasoning…
Thirdly, Anton’s name is listed just a smidge longer in St. Louis records than the name “Frank,” and at the exact time Grimm was also in St. Louis.
In 1929, shortly after Grimm settled in the city, Anton is listed in the city directory as a clerk at Joseph Bonsignore’s Penny Arcade, at 1318 Market Street. Frank Kamarit is listed as a mechanic.
1929 St. Louis City Directory
Anthony Kamarit clk Jos Bonsignore h1313 Park av pg. 1014
Frank Kamarit auto mech h3818 North market pg. 1014
Jos Bonsignore 1600 and 1807 Market r6 S15th pg. 427
A 1930 St. Louis Dispatch newspaper article documents that Anton was working as a photo clerk at Bonsignre’s—but possibly also as a tattoo artist, as “artist-independent” is his occupation given in the 1930 Federal Census. This same year his name is the only one listed on the Billboard Magazine Letter List; the last mentions of a Kamarit, in fact.
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Last but not least, Bonsginore’s Penny Arcade was a mere one block over from Grimm’s 1415A Market Street tattoo shop, so it seems likely he and Anton were the ones in contact with one another.
Anton Kamarit’s Resting Place
Anton Kamarit’s career is now fairly well documented. Any murkey history aside, he was a relevant tattooer—friend and colleague of some of the big names—who deserves his due credit in tattoo history. A hearty ‘Thank You’ goes out to Chicago tattoo artist Nick Colella for contributing to this end with photos of Kamarit’s grave site.
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Note: Anton Kamarit and his wife moved to Phoenix, Arizona in the early 1930s after he gave up tattooing. He died there on February 18, 1940 of Tuberculosis. Frank Kamarit lived out his days in East St. Louis.
Chicago’s Tattoo History: Nick Colella
As evidenced by the above bits, numerous tattooers passed through Chicago at some point in their careers. The city—a Midwest hub—has always had a rich history of tattooing that runs deep in the roots of the American trade. The tradition continues today in the hands of good friend Nick Colella.
Nick’s lineage goes back to a time we all wish we could have of experienced: South State Street’s heavy-hitter, Tatts Thomas, was taught by Bert Grimm in the late 1920s and decades later brought Cliff Raven into the business. Raven then passed his knowledge on to Dale Grande, who handed the torch to Nick. Like us, Nick has spent many hours, days, and weeks researching this history he so loves and it’s all embodied in his beautiful shop, Great Lakes Tattoo. We encourage anyone who has the opportunity to stop by and see for themselves how special Nick’s history is. We, for one, are very grateful for what he does and his continued help and support of Buzzworthy.
For additional Chicago history, follow Nick Colella’s @chicagostattoohistory on Instagram
Related History:
Tattoo Historian No. 1, Nov. 1982 by Lyle Tuttle; Bert Grimm interview/oral story about Kelly/Kamarit by Lyle Tuttle
Questions or Comments? Email:
carmennyssen@buzzworthytattoo.com
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