Article - Shading Lady of Tombstone

The town that is remembered as the stamping grounds of the world's most ruthless dentist is home and work space to tattooer Apache Jill.

In the closing quarter of the 19th century Doctor J. H. Holiday AKA DOC Holiday lived, drank gambled, and liquidated people in Tombstone, Territory of Arizona, USA.

In the closing quarter of the 20th century Apache Jill lives, drinks and drills people in Tombstone, State of Arizona, USA.

The good Doc liquidated 'em with a short barreled shotgun. Jill drills 'em with a firm talented left hand on a tattoo gun.

Less than 6 blocks from where Doc Holiday and the Earp Bros killed in the name of the law, enforcing Ordinance number 6 of the City of Tombstone, the misdemeanor infraction of carrying a gun in public (invalidated, a hundred and

some years later), Jill practices the ancient art of tattooing. An craft that predates the gun by many centuries.

Apache Jill and her husband Clarke have lived in Tombstone for some years.

Clarke is a student of that southern murdering gentleman dentist and is at present working on a book about the infamous John Henry Holiday.

Their home/studio is filled with all kinds of memorabilia, from Tombstones heydays, through Brando, Dean and Janis.

Clark was a biker tattooer back in Buffalo, NY and got hooked up with Jill and Clark got Jill apprenticed by the virtuosi of the day. She has been tattooing long enough to remember when equipment was sterilized in a bucket. Of course she uses the most up to date sterilization equipment today in her studio. After serving her aprentiship sehe and Clarke struck out on their own. Jill tattooed while Clark worked the front. She's had shops in California, Sturgis SD, Laughlin/Bullhead City, Yuma, AZ and being a couple of old scooter tramps, they moved around a lot as Jill refined her art.

Well anyway they ended up in historic Tombstone and settled down. Clarke researches and Jill paints and draws. She still does her magnificent tattoos under certain conditions. You can't find her except by phone or mail.

She tattoos in her time, by appointment only. Clients call from all over the world seeking appointments with her. She sets the time and conditions. Apache Jill is not a customer driven business. Deem yourself very lucky if you are able to get a Apache Jill original

. Jill and Clarke moved to Tombstone to get away from the rat race and to enjoy living in the atmosphere of the historical American West. She owns 2 Paul Rogers left handed tattoo appliances that Paul made for her. Machines number 1 and number 6! Her studiois located in a former crib, i.e, Brothel, Whore House of which there were many to satisfy the needs of the miners and dandies that resided in Tombstone in the later part of the 19th century.

Their kitchen was a cardroom whereDoc and the Earp bros. did a little gambling. You can stop by the graveyard souvenir shop at Boothill (This graveyard is the first place that the term Boothill was used to describe any piece of property. Note: It has no bar) or the Birdcage Theater on Allen St. and get a drawing by Apache Jill.

Besides winning awards nationally in tattooing she has piles of ribbons from straight normal art world for her art on other mediums than skin.

She works with pen and ink on paper and with sharp tools on bone in the practice of the art of scrimshawing.

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