John Henry Rhodes (Cecil Rhodes)

Cecil Rhodes (John Henry Rhodes) (1880-1951) tattooed many of his army buddies during the First-World-War and opened his first studio at 173 Snargate Street, Dover, England.

Where he tattooed with an electric machine as opposed to tattooing by hand, which was still the favoured method by the few tattooists who were practicing in Great Britain at that time.

When Snargate Street was bombed by the German’s during the Second-World-War, Cecil went to work for the local council and also sold ice-cream as a sideline in a street vending enterprise. He was also tattooing part-time from his new home at 5 Liverpool Street, Dover.

And at one point he became a smudge worker (a man who takes photographs of holiday markers and the like, and sends the pictures on to them a week or so after, as a Souvenir of their time at the seaside).

Cecil who was most skilled in the art of tattooing used to draw his own designs and used ‘Hartley machines’ of Bristol, England.

Cecil’s brother ‘Dusty’ also tattooed but he took his skills up to the seaport town of Grimsby on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England.

The tattoo artist Cecil Rhodes is not to be confused with Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) the Englishman and owner of the ‘Kimberley Diamond Mines’ who had Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) named after him.

The late great British tattoo artist Ron Ackers used to speak very highly of Cecil Rhodes (the tattooist) beautiful painted design sheets and splendid tattooing, always referring to him as Professor Rhodes.

copyright…Paul Sayce.

Posted on 20th May 2009