This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Johnson led Thunder Bay tattooing in midcentury era
A historical sketch traces tattooing in Thunder Bay to Nels Johnson, a Swedish immigrant who arrived in 1927 and learned the craft in Winnipeg. He worked in mines near Sawant Lake, ran multiple businesses in Sioux Lookout, and later operated barber shops and parlours in Fort William, rebuilding after a 1944 hotel fire and establishing a dedicated tattoo shop by 1961.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Otzi
Thunder Bay
Nels Johnson
Sweden
Johnson
Canada
Halifax
Fort William
Avenue Hotel
Atlanaic Hotel
Simpson Street