Below is a gallery of actual tattoos photographs of interview participants who were tattooed by Harry Ramesar and who found their tattoo flash design, tracing or both on the digital archive during the live interview.
Fu Manchu
“Every every second gangster had a Fu Manchu on their forearm. And that’s was your passage of right”
“The one guy had the the the one without the sword in the head and I said no, I want that one”
“And I said no, I want the one. So that’s me, you know you wanted to look tough, back in the day, you want to do when you were younger”
“Everybody had it on this arm”
“The on the wall. So, I said no, I want Fu Manchu”
“Harry said it must go here. This is the place where he goes because I wanted to on top over here and he said no, no. This is the place for it’”
“Also, so I could hide it”
“This wasn’t the first Fu Manchu he did. I must have been like the thousands”
“It’s tough, boys. You wanted to fit in. they were coming with this tattoo from there, so we were in awe, this is like a jail tattoo. But we didn’t, we didn’t realize it’s not a jail tattoo. It’s not actually just like they they it was 27 tattoos; you know you get the gang numbers”
“We took it as our markings for our gang. We didn’t have a specific tattoo for the gang”
“And in those years, a lot of gang fights. Coloured gangs operating so we were, we were under version of this gang. This was related to our gang. Meantime everybody had this tattoo”
“When you are young and stupid?”
“And also, my mates got this tattoo same one”
Eagle with Scroll
“It’s a bird or an eagle, but it has love inside, I change it to change it to mom”
“Because I thought after a while I took one on this side. After a while I will put one on this side and say dad”
“Which never happen”
“He was halfway through his tattoo or what couldn’t handle it. It was painful”
“you know, but every time Harry stopped to dip the ink and come back. Then you can feel it every time he stops to the thing can put and the painful part is this one”
“On the bird like the feathers, that’s the painful part”
“No, I didn’t have. I did not have any. We we did not have anything in mind”
“I like it. I like it, I like it”
“Basically, it was it didn’t have any sentimental value to something that you look like the design of that”
“Yeah, it was I was quite young Right. And I didn’t want it to be shown. You know what I mean?”
Eagle with Scroll
“Because my friend, you know, used to have these tattoos. Especially the eagle. The eagle I got the eagle”
“Yeah, I remember seeing a film. John Wayne was actor John Wayne. John Wayne, where Eagles Dare”
“The eagle and I know the story of the eagle. I got it documented, and I read the book also: the eagle generation”
“About Christianity. Christianity”
“This little thing is a big thing here because he is not only a bird. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s not only a bird. It’s a that type of a bird. You don’t. You don’t fear another bird or whatever and you know, yeah, High high above the clouds. So that is one of the reasons”
“This is visible. All the time you know”
“I can’t remember the word, maybe love. Maybe love could be, could be love in fact”
“So just the association of of of the strength of the eagle based on the stuff you read”
Pinup Girl
“I was wanting to have it, you know? I just liked it”
“See, like a like a naughty. A naughty thing like, you know”
“So, she almost moves her moves her bum when you move when you pull your pull, you pull. I invented it myself. You know once sitting and doing nothing”
“You know, but lately when I came into the, like the full gospel church thing like, you know. Then there was. Yeah, yeah, yeah, time. You know, like, I had this tattoo where it wasn’t called for, not sort of recommended”
“they’re both visible and then they want to take it out then I talked to my reverend”
“But when they came to know they said that what made you put this?”
“You know you’re naughty and this and that you do naughty things? Yeah. And I said, “You know what, Pastor? You don’t know, I was a drug addict”
“Because I’ve seen guys got it you know, yeah. Someone was a little different shape as well. Yeah. This one is the modern one”
“You know, the modern one. The other one was was a little fat, fat, fatter buttocks and shorter”
Eagle
“No, he just showed me the first one and I said yeah, that’s the one”
“No specific reason. I just wanted it on my chest”
“I’ve always kept it covered with the T-shirt and I don’t flaunt it”
“No, I don’t want it to be seen”
“Honestly, for no specific reason, I just liked nature”
“There wasn’t anyone that I saw with any other thing on the chest beside an eagle”
“That is the only thing people have on the chest in those days in the 70s. Now and then, I’ve thought of adding stuff onto it”
“Yeah, he he was so good at it. He knew exactly”
Naked Pinup Girl
“My father had one. Something like this”
‘Knowing I wanted that as well, I I thought of my dad”
“Let me put something daring like, you know. So that’s why I went and put this”
“But it still didn’t have the colouring inside. I had to go back”
“That’s on the wall. He had a tracing”
“I just chose Red, I didn’t think”
“little bit of a pain like just relax for a while and when he first thing he ask you. Are you under the influence? No alcohol. He don’t allow you to have alcohol at all in your body”
“And then, but once that that buzzing sound and it’s getting numb, then you continue then it was all good. It was all good after”
“100%, I was too excited”
“Which brings me to something like that I need to cover this thing. In some way on. The time covered because I’m sitting in Church, I feel odd”
“on a hot day. You know, sitting on my because children could be sitting next to me anyway. So going forward I need to. But when I come home, the family, were not happy”
“Not happy to put a tattoo, not angry about, angry about that. But what I chose to put, I say, I follow my father. Like father, like son”
“I was like a tiger like, you know. You know, I was like, what I say goes, being the oldest son like that. Now they they just let it be”
Preying Hands
“because of Christianity. Umm, I put this and this. Also saw on the wall and then another. My my cousin brother who was in the ship in Cape Town was here. So, I saw he had on his chest. That’s how I got the idea from there to put”
“That’s how I got the idea from there to put”
“He had the tracing for this”
“Put it here because it’s visible”
“You know, so you would tell people like you know”
“Yeah, I wanted to do this hand? Yeah, right here”
“Yes, I’m really happy. Very happy that I showed them then I said yeah. OK, something like this is fine”
“They want to know now is there going to be anymore? I said no. I decided that two is enough for now. Yeah, now. But within weeks I was back by Harry again”
Skull and Crossbones
“So, this one only reason I put this was because of my local football support. Pirates. Pirates. Yeah, that’s the reason for this mighty Buccaneers”
“Lee, I put here is because I named my son Brandon Lee”
“I knew what I wanted before I went there”
“because I’ve taken the one here already, so I’ll put them on this to balance it now”
Eagle with Scroll
“took it for my mum and had this eagle”
“And it’s written on that banner that the Eagles carrying is written mum”
“So, this was for her”
“Wanted my mom to know that whatever I’m doing in front of her in the presence of her or something other like, you know, is always visible. Reminds me of her”
“Because she knows that she’s got a bond with me. A very strong bond. Yeah, So, therefore I can put that. So that was on the forearm so people could see it. So, you wanted people to see it and you want to remind of”
“I told him. Yeah, I told him on that eagle. You know, it was the some of them were already displayed”
“Knowledge. A profound knowledge that eagles fly high above the view of men”
“they will always look down upon what’s happening below them”
“And also, the fact is that now. I said when my mom passes on when she’s gone to heaven is a type of flight that is taken by the eagle. Like you know, yeah”
Pinup Girl
“The thought behind that like you know, as you growing up you etc etc. Like you know you you find time to get mature when you fancy someone etc etc. That you know what I. I like this lady here. I like this person here. It’s just and you basically like you fall in love in a way”
“And now at that point in time, we were not experienced. You couldn’t approach them until. The you know what? I love you and it’s not, etcetera. You know the other thing but in our culture, it was a taboo. Hey, like, you know, to just approach anyway and tell whatever you want to say”
“So, this one here was in significance, significance of the person that I fancied very much”
“I like you so much and I’m going to put your memory here on my hand. Yeah. So, so that was that. But then again, it never made life simply because you know, with, with our culture, you would get arrange marriages. So, their parents said they had someone who want to marry her. That’s. But the remembrance is still here. Yeah”
“This is also also saw also at Harry’s, Like I said I used to browse around, whatever kept in mind in mind and that will be the next one also”
Skull, Dagger and Snake
“Right now, the story being is here now you know, like I said, Clairwood were very rough like, you know, like I said, we take no nonsense from nobody, a lot of fights and things were involved from people come from outside the city. So, we were not slack”
“All this like when it came to fighting and even that like, you know, I just rushed it in all like, you know, so yeah. So no, now the guy must realize that I don’t come from a skaapie places something like you know so I put that thing on just to warn them beforehand, don’t start”
“I just walk in there sometime if I’m in town, I just walk in there. I just pick it up so”
Dagger with Flower Scroll
“I was having lunch”
“So, you finish your lunch. Come over, I want to see you”
‘What’s up? He said, come on sit down and he put this tattoo on me”
“I asked him how much, he said don’t worry, but I can see the price because in his room three walls from ceiling to down halfway three quarter down”
“I have this in 1963 I think 64 somewhere there”
“Love, yeah”
“So, he chose the tattoo. He chose the position”
“On the wall”
“He just got me off hand. I couldn’t say no, he was older than me, I couldn’t say no”
“He didn’t tell me anything, to be honest. He just called me and said, come on, I’ll see you when you got this, he said. And then giving me a tattoo”
Horse Shoe with Bow and Flowers
“a navy guy, I met him as a friend”
“I wanted another tattoo I got addicted to tattoos. I wanted more. So, I went there to his chambers again and I got this also on the wall”
“On the wall and I got that one, a horseshoe, the horseshoe and the ribbon and the butterflies and flowers”
“it’s a bow. Would be tied with a with a ribbon”
“I just went in there and got it done”
“It was just something I wanted to do’
Springbok with Flags
“Now this one I do know it was 1950, so that is the Springbok with the British flag”
“That we had the British trade union with, and all the flags were down West Street all down West Street. So, I went in there and I said I want a tattoo. I want to springbok. You are South African flag and the British flag”
“Because I saw that the trade union, they build the flags down the street. One British, one South African and one British one South African right down the street”
(Patriotic meaning?) “I don’t know, could be”
Cross on Stones with Banner
“Well, I had this one done, which I also saw another friend of mine”
“It’s a cross. On them. Probably a grave or something, and I’d love written across there”
“Of course, this was red as well. Yeah. Yeah. The red faded very quickly”
“(reason?) It’s hard to remember”
“Just, just just because I saw on somebody else”
Lioness with Name
“Lioness with Gladys written underneath there, my late wife”
“We had a huge argument. She really accused me of other women aren’t she was insanely jealous”
“And she was shouting and shouting and screaming at me and all sorts of things at me. You know when getting them. So, I went to the tattoo artist, and I got that one put on Lioness”
“design where what I wanted, and I told him I want the lioness, and he did it himself. If he had it on the wall, I didn’t see it”
“I actually wanted a jumping lioness, but I got a flat one haha. I was very happy with it”
“She nearly killed me when I got home”
“She never let me forget it”
Grim Reaper with Full Moon
“My second one, so in the tradition as well, we were allowed the second one, when we turn 18, right? When you finish school, you’re allowed to get a second tattoo”
“So, the second one was this one. I went to his studio the one day and I chose this. The Grim Reaper. And when I chose that, he said no”
“He refused to do it, he said. I I said you can choose a tattoo, but I will not put that for you”
“So, I I said, OK, I want it and I got home. I complained to my grandmother. I said, oh, Dada says that I, I can choose the tattoo. But when I chose the tattoo, he complained and he still he he was adamant he did not want to put it”
“So, my grandmother told him, you know what? If he wants to put it”
“So, he told me. OK, I’ll do it for you under the condition that the next tattoo is chosen by him”
“It took him about about hour”
“The first few weeks, when it started healing, it was itching and I couldn’t handle it, so I scratched it”
“And as for the karma, because he said don’t do it and I did it, I scratched it, and I damaged the lines”
“But I left it as is. I was going to cover it up, so I’ll leave it memory. Leave it”
“He didn’t like the pattern. It wasn’t his, his design, his authentic design”
“I saw him doing it for someone, so I want”
“because that guy brought the pattern”
“It was more of as a kid you want to be badass. You were just starting college. I just started training. So, I started building my arms, so that’s why I wanted the tattoo, and I wanted the Grim Reaper to look like, you know, like one of those gangster types”
“So, I put it here because if I use a shirt, I can actually just cover it up because it was. I was still in college and before I started work and stuff”
“Initially I was over the moon because I got a big tattoo and when it started itching and I started scratching, I wasn’t too happy. Yeah, it didn’t get infected because I didn’t listen to it and but that was, I think, after a few months it got infected”
“It was painful”
“because I was still young at the time”
“It wasn’t the best, but it’s because it’s the first. It’s the first and we had. I had an argument with him, and so it’s actually, I’d say it’s it’s very sentimental”
“If I wanted to do it, I did it. So why cover it up?”
“I had no idea what the Grim Reaper even meant. I didn’t know tattoos had means, but because I was in college after I got the tattoo, I had friends who who were were they were thugs, they were gangsters”
“And they asked me, do you know what that means? I said no. They said, well, if you don’t ever go to jail with that tattoo because and if you don’t understand what it means if you don’t know what it means, then you shouldn’t put it. Yeah. And I didn’t know at that at that time. I didn’t know”
“I’m never going to go to jail, so it’s fine”
“So, the other reason why I chose that Grim Reaper is because I didn’t want something that was too common. I wanted something unique”
Hindu Om with Tribal Arm Band
“So, you may not find a tracing with this one”
“So, this one was done the same year in 1998. It was probably around, it was July, it was three months later”
‘So, it was his his condition on getting the Grim Reaper to do his own tattoo. I said OK, fine, I’ll come. You do whatever you want. And he created this design for me. So, he may have kept the stencil. I’m not sure, but he created this for me specifically. He had this armband”
“So, he liked the armband and the ohm sign because we’re we’re Hindu, so he and he, he liked this”
“He liked this design. It was his own design and he wanted me to have this”
“Surprisingly enough, this one did not get infected. It healed very nicely and even though up till now the lines are still quite nice. Yeah, as opposed to the thick lines on that one, which he refused to put”
“Also, so I can I can cover it with my sleeve if need be”
“Because every time when you’re applying for jobs and they see tattoos in your forearms, it was it didn’t look very well”
