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Lecture, Barnard's Inn Hall, Thursday, 4 Feb 2027 - 18:00
One Gay Man's Accidental Creation of the Modern Tattoo Industry
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Hanns Rudolf “Rudi” Inhelder (1929–2003) was a Swiss physicist in Cold War America and passionate tattoo collector. He built a vast archive and founded the Tattoo Club of America in 1960s New York, fostering global connections among tattoo artists and enthusiasts while discreetly linking gay men during a repressive era. Though short-lived, the club helped shape modern tattoo culture.
The lecture celebrates Rudi’s work and creativity, highlighting queer resilience, unintended social change and the challenges of preserving subcultural histories and archives.
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