Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
James Moncur

Dundee man tracks down tattoo artist dad’s clients for heartwarming photo tribute

A Dundee man has tracked down his tattoo artist dad’s clients for a heartwarming photo tribute.

Photographer Gary Latto took months pulling together the tribute to his late father, Graeme.

He traced dozens of his dad’s old clients, dating back to the late 70s, and took photos of their tattoos.

At the same time he also heard stories about his father - who was one of Tayside’s most prolific tattoo artists, who sadly died in 2006.

His search has now been made into a BBC film.

Gary said: “The idea started when my friend, who works on building sites, would send me pictures from guys that he met on site and he’d tell me your dad this one in 1977. I thought it was really cool.

“One of the photos that Ross sent to me was a guy who had an octopus on his arm. It was really cool, really colourful. I said ‘have you got his number, can I speak to him?’ But he had a stroke and passed away.

“It’s sad that the guy's passed away first and foremost but obviously the tattoo went with him.

“I think that’s why it’s important to document these things because somebody might want to see those tattoos again.”

Gary’s dad was known around the city as ‘Nash’ and he ran a number of different tattoo shops through the years - including ones in Dock Street, King Street, Princes Street and on Victoria Road.

However, he first started out in his gran’s shed after buying a machine from a friend.

Gary explained: “My dad was a character. He was always in the pub. Everyone liked him. He was a very popular man.

“He bought a machine from another guy that lived in the same scheme as him and he started tattooing in my gran’s back shed.

“It was mostly just his mates, they used to come in and they’d sit in my gran’s living room, it was like a waiting room.

“My gran used to give them tea and biscuits and stuff like that while they were waiting to get tattooed.

“He got his first shop in 1980. He would have had thousands of clients over the years. His books were pretty much always full.

Gary was just 15 when his father died in February 2006 - he said it was a very tough time for him and his family.

Recently he found his father’s old 35mm camera and decided to track down his clients and document their tattoos.

He said the project has really helped come to terms with the loss.

He explained: “I love getting to see his old work and getting people’s stories.

“It’s been a really cathartic experience for me.”

And he added: “It’s been a long time since my dad died. And I am still grieving him. I’ll be grieving him for the rest of my life.

“But it’s almost like I get to reconnect with my dad through people’s stories.”

**Don't miss the latest headlines from around Dundee and Tayside. Sign up to our newsletters here .

And did you know Dundee Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and a share .

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.