Northwest Tattoo Museum 

& Tattooing



208-665-6565

2934 North Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815

THE NORTHWEST TATTOO MUSEUM

Professionals Dedicated to Preserving Tattoo History

The Northwest Tattoo Museum (NTM) currently exhibits a large growing fully insured collection of: tattoo machines, flash, business cards, stencils, posters, and many other tattoo related objects from 1880's to present; from greats such as:  J.F. Barber, E.E. Brown, Ernie Carafa, Cap Coleman, Sailor Jerry Collins, Amund Dietzel, Bert Grimm, Henry Goldfeild, Don Ed Hardy, Owen Jensen, Bill Jones, Fred Marquand, Nick Melroy, Stan & Walter Moscowitz, Bill Moore, Don Nolan, Cliff Raven, Paul Rogers, R.J. Rosini, Jack Rudy, Bob Shaw, Huck Spaulding, Lyle Tuttle, Percy Waters, Milton Zeis, and many more.


The Northwest Tattoo Museum is Currently a Privately Funded venture, altho we are working on Non-Profit status. Tattooing and merchandise sales help offset the cost of rent and utilities. Donations comprise some of the collections objects. Part of new items on display were donated by tattooists interested in seeing the NTM educate the community about the history of tattooing. A majority of the museums collection is owned by J.A. Brown. The NTM is still in the process of inventorying artifacts into an internal collections database; as new objects are acquired. 

The NTM also provides: 

* Identification and Appraisal of Historic Tattoo items 

* Historical Background Research on Historic Tattoo items

* Repair & Restoration Services on Vintage Tattoo Machines, etc.



The NTM started as a collection housed in 'A Fine Art Tattoo' in Moscow, Idaho in 2010 with Jay Browns personal collection. Jay decided as the collection got larger that it was a disservice to the tattoo community to have it all in the dark in drawers. This is where the concept came. There was plenty of room in the tattoo shop, time to get everything out of the dark and into the light for all to see, It just grew from there. Early  2013, the NTM moved to a new location in Coeur d' Alene, Idaho in the old Blue Rose Tattoo building which was in total a tattoo shop for 19 years, until April 2020 when we changed location. The goal there was to have a tattoo shop inside of the Museum. The space was too small so the tattooing aspect was set up like an old dummy railed in the back of the arcade style, The NTM is now in a new large 1600 sq. ft. space at 2934 North Government in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. At this location the Tattoo shop inside came to fruition where we now have a freestanding 3 station Tattoo Shop inside the museum. Almost a working exhibit in it's own rights! Due to  Jay's passion for history and detrmination, the Museum came to total fruition. 

If you have a few hours, Jay will bend your ear and give you a private tour. Whether you have a personal interest in tattoo history or general questions about tattoos and the craft, Jay will have a professional, knowledgeable answer and many experiential stories to share. Full Tours are by Appointment. 

CURATOR OF TATTOO HISTORY- JAY BROWN

Jay Brown 

   As the curator of the NTM, Jay oversees an insured collection of living history and artifacts with countless stories. A Master Tattoo Artist of 37 years, he is also a tattoo machine builder, tattoo historian, and contributing writer for tattoo publications. He is honored to be a Tattoo History Instructor for Guy Aitchison's Re-Inventing the Tattoo Educational Course. Also a National Tattoo Association (NTA) Terry Wrigley Award recipient for outstanding contribution to the tattooing profession, one of 28 since 1994, some of those who have been honored are Lyle Tuttle, Don Ed Hardy, Jack Rudy, Chuck Eldridge, Hanky Panky, Shanghai Kate Hellenbrandt, Vyvyn Lazonga, Dana Brunson and many more. He is one of the Alliance of  Professional Tattooists (APT) Lifetime Achievement Award recipients for outstanding contributions to the A.P.T and the Tattoo Industry. Recipients have been folks like Lyle Tuttle, Crazy Philadelphia Eddie, Pat Sinatra, Jacci Gresham and others. He is an A.P.T. Certificate of Tattoo Mastery recipient, and also was a Preventing Disease Transmission in Tattooing Instructor for several years. Jay now sits as Co-Chair on the A.P.T.'s Education Commitee. Jay is also the Idaho State Represenative for the A.P.T. Over the years Jay has worked as a judge and speaker at numerous tattoo conventions.  Jay was awarded the first R.J. Rosini Award for contributions to the tattoo community, and has had the honor of determining who receives the award yearly since 2004. Recipients have been Lyle Tuttle, Vyvyn Lazonga, Henry Goldfield, Mary Jane Haake, Bert Rodriguez, the APT, the NTA, Judy Parker, Goodtime Charlie Cartwright, Aaron Bell, Izzy LaPlante, Mr. G and Madame Chinchilla, and Cherokee Chuck and Chris Shaffer to name a few.  Jay considers these awards and experiences as his highest honors, and part of the drive behind his endeavors at the museum. 

   Originally from Ventura County, California, in the late1970's, his parents moved to Oregon where he spent 6 years on their Arabian horse ranch. After leaving the ranch he spent a summer working the carnival putting up and tearing down rides. He started his career in tattooing that same year in 1986. Having a background in art from many evenings watching his grandmother, an accomplished artist, as a child, as well having a knack for it, he took to tattooing immediately. Inspired after getting 2 tattoos in the same day, he was done for. After serving an apprenticeship, Jay moved to California for a short time, then back to Oregon. He even tattooed out of a converted bus on Grateful Dead tour, on and off for a few years stopping at towns and shops along the way. 

   In  late 1989 he moved to the Midwest; first tattooing in the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, opening a shop in a Harley Davidson repair shop. Then in 1991 he made the move to Kansas City, Kansas, then Kansas City, Missouri where in 1992 he was part owner of A-1 Tattoo with partners John Monk and Fredrick Watson. It was in Kansas City where Jay met his new mentor and later adopted father/godfather, R.J. Rosini, and R.J.'s son, James at Grimm's Tattoo. Jay became like family with the Rosini's and began his time with the world famous RJ Rosini Tattooing Gypsy Tour from 1993-2003. While working with RJ, Jay tattooed all over the country doing 10-12 conventions a year, thus being able to meet all the greats of the craft, travel and do guest spots. 

   Jay has worked guest spots at 24 different studios, attended and worked at over 100 Conventions, where he met and worked with many talented tattooers, across the country. Jay has owned 6 studio's over the years and also worked spots at friends shops. His work is award winning with several awards for his tattooing ability, which was enriched by working with numerous tattooers.. Jays lifetime career of tattooing has enabled him the privilege of knowing and working with the old time tattooers. Having the opportunity to experience first hand the old school world and oral history; He enjoys sharing tattoo history and keeping the contemporary-era connected to the origins, lore, ethics, materials/artifacts, and lives of some amazing people from a very different time. Jay has had the honor to befriend, with much esteem, many greats like Philadelphia Eddie, Lyle Tuttle, Chuck Eldridge, Sailor Cam Cook, Henry Goldfield, Bowery Stan Moscowitz, Mike Martin, Goodtime Charlie Cartwright, Jack Rudy, Mr. G & Madame Chinchilla, Shawn Anderson, Tony Olivas, Pat Sinatra, Shanghai Kate, and so many others who have helped enrich his knowledge of tattoo history.

   RJ Rosini passed unexpectedly at a tattoo convention in 2003, but Jay and James continued to carry on the Rosini Tattoo Family name until James premature death in 2012. Jay still keeps the memory of the RJ Rosini & Son Tattooing Gypsy Tour alive at the museum, and at conventions. The Rosini name is also carried on through the Rosini Gypsy Tour Tattooing in Sturgis where Jay was a partner in the shop from 2004-2012 ; it's now owned and run by his good brother, another adopted son/godson of RJ's, Cherokee Chuck Shaffer and his wife Chris. Jay did conventions under the Rosini banner from 1993-present day and Sturgis at Rosini's from 1994-2011. 

Museum Acknowledgements

Our deepest thanks to ALL who have contributed to or items were acquired from. There is no order to the following list. It is based on how things, events, and folks were remembered. If We Have missed you please don't be offended and let us know! Thank You.


* Jennifer DeRose - Support from Day 1

* Mary Jane Haake - Platinum Sponsorship ($1000)

* Mike Pike - 1st Donation, Tattoo Machine

* James Rosini RIP - Rosini Neon, Rosini Banner, Rosini Collection

* Max Tucker - Tattoo Machines

* Mr.G - Large Dragon Stencil, Waters power supply and cord

* Nick Ackman - Stencils-paper & acetate, Business cards, Grimm grave rubbing

* Kevin Rassmusen - Portland Tattoo Expo Promoter, NTM Fundraiser Organizer

* Cliff White/Tattooing Artifacts - Prof. Frank Liberty Card, Prints

* Jack Rudy - NTM Fundraiser at the Portland Tattoo Expo - tattooed hands, Designed our logo

* Aaron Bell - NTM Fundraiser at the Portland Tattoo Expo - tattooed hands

* Big Gus - NTM Fundraiser at the Portland Tattoo Expo - tattooed hands

*Tony Olivas - NTM Fundraiser at the Portland Tattoo Expo - tattooed hands

* Corey Miller - NTM Fundraiser at the Portland Tattoo Expo - tattooed hands

* Myke Chambers - NTM Fundraiser in Portland....

* Paco Excel - NTM Fundraiser in Portland....

* James Kern - NTM Fundraiser in Portland....

* Steve Soto - NTM Fundraiser in Portland....

* Derek Noble - NTM Fundraiser in Portland....

* Shaun Miller - NTM Fundraiser in Portland.....

* Jacob Doney - NTM Fundraiser in Portland.....

* Ryan Mullins - NTM Fundraiser in Portland.....

* Sullen Clothing - Portland Tattoo Expo NTM Fundraiser Sponsor

* Pound of Flesh - Portland Tattoo Expo NTM Fundraiser Sponsor

* Painful Pleasures - Portland Tattoo Expo NTM Fundraiser Sponsor

* Blane Hoffman - Flash, Tattoo machines, Books and Machine Rack

* Tim James - Flash, Machine, Stencils, Power Supply, and Machine Rack

* Sailor Cam Cook - Hand Painted Banner

* Scott Dilligaf - Machine and 1920-30's Tincture of Greensoap

* Shane Gunderson - Zeis Machine

* Ben Euse - loan of Waters #6 marker w/ fingerswitch and paperwork

* Jimmy Fingers - loan of Don Nolan Machines and Flash

* Mike Shaefer - Nick Meroy Machine, Zeis Power Pac, 2 Deitzel traveling flash

* Jeremy Lee - Stoney Apprentice Flash Board

* Jennie Peace - Flash designs, Flash Sheet

* LeDan Peace - Peace Family Photographs. (1945, Tex Peace, Wife, & Family), aquisition of Flash board and acetates

* Sailor Chris - "the Tattooist" Book release posters

* Jimmie Skuse - Bristol Tattoo Club Items, Photos, Flash

* Dana Brunson - Rock of Ages Flash Sheet

* Papa Joe Dawson - NTM Handpainted Sign (Beautiful Sign, Thanks!)

* Hero - Large Original Flash Sheet, NTM Benefit 70 artist set contributor

* Joel Valkner - Large Envelope Art, Original Flash Sheet

* James Locker - Prints, Stencils, Catalogue Pages, Advertisements

* Mathew Haggerman - 1959 S&R Supreme, 1963 S&R Supreme

* CJ Shades - Display Case and Wind Up Machine

* Jo Villapando - 1739 Musket parts Machine

* Bowery Stan Moscowitz - Machine, machine frames

* Philadelphia Eddie Funk - Vol. 1 - 6 of his books, Mi Vida Loca, Life and Times

* Robert McNeill - Original Flash, Banners, Tattoo Machines, Flash, etc.

* Mr.G and Madame Chinchilla - Tattooing by Men & Women Books to sell

* Tattoo Archive - Flash, Books, Machine Charts

* Martha Helms - Cash Donation

* Bob & Carolyn DeRose - Cash Donation

* Michael DeWitt - Marquand collection items, flash, stencils, sketchbook page

* Jay Hand - Tubes, Needles for building display, Sailor Jerry Book

* Eddie Svetich - Flash, Needle Building Items for the display, acquisition of Owen Jensen Machine

* Ernie Carafa - Prints, Cards, Photo's, Flash, acquisition of machine

* Donnie Thornton - Collection of 70's flash

* Goodtime Charlie Cartwright - Large Flash Sheet, acquistions of Flash Sheet and Stencil sheet

* Buddy Wheeler - Ralph Jonstone painting print, #24/250, Norman Rockwell Tattooist Coca Cola tray,  Acquisition of a Modified 1930's Waters #4 tattoo machine, 

* Larry "Tex" Bartowski - Nickle plated brass Joe Kaplin Machine, restored

* Chuck Householder - Casting tree, and cast frames

* Mark Phillips - Capt. Don Leslie Stencil Collection

* Bruce Litz - print # 1 of 2 of J. Browns tattooed prosthetic, in ITA 2002

*Jimbo LeBoeuf - Joe Kaplan Machines and parts

* J.A. Brown - Brown/DeRose Collection. Very large collection in the museum

* Andy Bolin - Art for the NTM 70 Artist Flash Set

* The Zeis Studio - Acquisition of Flash Set, Large Board, Advertisement

* Jesse Martynuik - Martynuik Family Exhibit, Flash, Large Stencils

* Bobby Shaw - Bob Shaw Acetates

* Jerald O'Brien - Wilmot Castle 777 Autoclave

* NTA - Convention Posters, 25 annual coin key chains

* APT - Trade Show Spot, and expenses, 3 years 2012, 2013, 2017

* Duffy Foster - Old Tiger Tattoo Cards, Sailor Jerry Shoes

* Walt Dailey - Tiger Tattoo Card Collection

* Cameron Price - Original Flash Set, NTM Benefit Flash Set

* Shanghai Kate - Sailor Jerry Sign Print, Stencil

* Jenn Johnson - Business Card Collection, Posters

* Omaha Mike - Posters, Flash, etc.

* Jim Peters - Flash from Jack Armstrong, Jack Armstrong Flash

* Aaron Bell - Prints, Flash Book

* Michael Culley - Tattoo Machine

* Blue Collar John - Tattoo Machine

* Tattoo Archive & Chuck Eldridge - Advice. Acquisitions Tattoo Flash, stencil, books, advice

* Lyle Tuttle - Advice

* Chuck Byfield - Tattoo Machine

* Todd Holley - Norman Rockwell "the Tattooist" Framed Print

* Izzy LaPlante - Flash, Tattoo Machine

* Jesse Avery - Tattoo Machine

* Jimbo Leboeuf - Tattoo Machines

* Michael Raina - Tattoo Machine Frames

* Bengt Cenatiempo - Tattoo Machines

* Kingpin Tattoo Supply - Zeis "Tattooing The World Over" 1st edition(pristine)

* Tattoo Artist Magazine - Advertisement for Articles

* Todd Evans - Vintage Tubes

* Rodney Tribe - Tattoo Machine

* Brett Stewart - Flash

* Derek Campbell - Paul Rogers Video, Paul Rogers & Bert Grimm Audio's

*Wes Grimm - Bert & Julia Grimm check, interview

*Danny Fowler - Acquisition of 1960's Lightweight tattoo machine

*Rand Johnson - Original Master Flash set 1, from Cherry Creek  Flash, Ron Ackers Machine

* Ahren Bloomquist - Acquisition of 1920's Percy Waters Tattoo Machine

*Dusty Ullerich - Acquisition of 1930's CTSH Flash sheets,  1930's Flash board, Mickey Kott poster

*Judy Parker - Flash, Prints, Paintings, Bell, etc. Acquisition of Tattoo Wall of Fame portraits. 




Folks that donated time and art to the NTM Benefit Flash Set: 

Jodi Olivas Griffin, Blane Hoffman, Douglas Lamb, Joel Valkner, Charissa Eller-Doughty, Andrew Little, Jennie Peace, Andy Bolin, Tim James, Ray Youngman, Jimmy Fellows, Nick Ackman, Eric Meling, Jennifer Johnson, Danny Newman, Steve Butterfield, Bunny Switchblade, Tony Eterno, Adam Lauricella, Holly Bruch, Jeremy Youngman, Wade Elder, Jeff Fort, Dustin Barnes, Ahren Bloomquist, Ben Euse, Ty Olomon, Donnie Irish, Cameron Price, Maximillian Tucker, Jeff Arnett, Jeanie Newbie, Joey Hovaldt, Barnaby Tichner, Keith ?,Jay Greene, Aaron Goodrich, Pay Penya, John Cook, Hero, James Dodson, Sam Matkin, Jay Brown, Guillermo, David Steelman, Jeff Groom, EJ Chaney, Buck Miller, "Hambone" Hamlin, Brian Carr, Brian O'Hair, Michelle Balhan, Jennifer Covington, Dave Attonito, David J. Wilson, Emmanuel Galicia, Nickolas Stout, Aaron Bell, Ben Hoteling, Eddie Svetich, Aaron Dunn...