Rake House

We're a small press with big ideas.
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After years of collecting, researching, and writing about tattoo history and other topics off the beaten path, we're turning our labor of love into beautiful books, expertly crafted inside and out.

07/25/2024

A selection of Huck Spaulding’s jewelry collection featured in the latest print catalog. The man had good taste!

07/22/2024

Wearable history! This belt buckle was custom made for pioneering tattoo artist and supplier Huck Spaulding (1928-2013), ca. 1975. It is one of many items from his personal collection included in our latest print catalog. Order your copy today!

07/18/2024

“Bend it right. Speed comes later!” – Ralph Jefferson

Only 232 copies left! The new catalog is beyond packed with some of the coolest tattoo artifacts you’ve ever seen, including the original neon sign from “Tattoo Charlie” Geizer’s (1905-1980) famed shop above the Midway Bar in Baltimore, ca. 1940-1960. It had been in storage for nearly 50 years, so we took it to our friends at , who fitted it with a fresh transformer. It lights like a champ!

Incidentally, the day this sign came into their shop, a retired glass bender from Baltimore had stopped in. He learned the craft from Ralph Jefferson (1921-1993), who had the only neon shop on “The Block” for many years and was quite likely the person who made Charlie’s sign. Ralph’s glasswork advice was “bend it right - speed comes later.”

07/17/2024

Our second installment of The Tattoo History Catalogue is finally available! There are 100 more items this year, including the collections of several pioneering tattoo artists. We printed a small run of these, so grab it while you can. www.rakehouse.com

05/16/2023

Our new book Late of the Guards: Tattoo Designs by Ben Corday has finally arrived and is ready to ship! It's been a while since we closed preorders, so please drop us a line if your address has changed. Thanks for sticking with us on this one. The book is our best yet. www.rakehouse.com

02/15/2023

One of the coolest discoveries to come out of our work on Boston is little-known tattoo artist Frank Harrington. He painted this sheet around 1935. Grab your copy of the book to see more of his work.

01/30/2023

Corday Update!

Thank you to everyone who preordered our new Ben Corday book. We were hoping to deliver it by February, but there have been a few scheduling setbacks and it is now expected to ship mid-May. We apologize for the delay, but promise it will be worth the wait. A lot of care and attention went into making this one. Thank you for your patience!

Individual copies of the book are sold out from our website. We have 9 copies left, which are only available in a bundle set.

12/12/2022

Get your copies in time for Christmas! This only applies to domestic orders for Floating West and Loud, Naked, & in Three Colors. The Corday book ships Jan/Feb and is sold out except for in the handful of book bundles available on our website. Thanks!

12/02/2022

Last day to preorder. This book will soon be hard to find.

11/30/2022

Another favorite from our new book by . The devil playing a banjo, painted by Ben Corday, Los Angeles, ca. 1918. Preorder ends Friday.

11/28/2022

An insane writhing dragon by inspired by a famous (and at times controversial) drawing by legendary Los Angeles tattoo artist Ben Corday. To see dozens of previously unpublished designs by Corday and other rare photos and artifacts, be sure to grab a copy of Rich’s new book Late of the Guards from . It’s nearly sold out 🙏 🐉

10/31/2022

Our new book by is finally available for preorder! Visit or click the profile link to get your copy of Late of the Guards: Tattoo Designs by Ben Corday.

We pulled out all the stops to create this limited-edition volume, which is offered in a series of presentation slipcases. Tattoo history at its finest! Ships January/February.

Ben Corday, the towering Scots Guardsman who made his name tattooing in downtown Los Angeles, was at the height of his powers when, around 1918, he painted more than 40 stunning designs in an artist's sketchbook. His graceful lines and clear, bright color palette set a new standard for tattoo flash art that, nearly a century after his death, continues to thrill and inspire tattoo artists and collectors alike. Late of the Guards faithfully recreates this unique piece of Corday history.

10/27/2022

Our new Ben Corday book goes on presale Halloween, October 31 at 9am EST. There will only be 750 copies for sale through . Seen here is one of the many designs painted by Corday around 1918.

We collaborated with to create this facsimile of Corday’s soon-to-be-iconic book of hand-painted designs. We’ve gotten as close to the original as possible, right down to the materials and ink-stained cover. Included is a killer essay by Rich that features fresh research and newly discovered relics.

We work hard to make books that don’t just sit on the shelf. If you like what we’re doing, please tell a friend!

10/21/2022

Only two weekends left to check out our exhibit! This c. 1935 sheet by Dad Liberty or his wife Lena is one of the many treasures on view at the Eustis Estate Museum in Milton, MA.

10/20/2022

The countdown begins! Presale for the new Corday book I’ve been working on with kicks off Halloween morning. There will only be 750 copies available from .
Rich and I went the extra mile to make this project special. In addition to fresh research and newly discovered items, it will include a stunning facsimile of a 45-page book of designs painted by Corday at the height of his powers. More details to come!

10/13/2022

One of the many cases of tattoo history on display at the Eustis Estate Museum in Milton, MA until Oct. 30. Visit while you still can! We went the extra mile putting together this show, which includes many items that aren’t featured in our book.

09/30/2022

Mark your calendars! Our new book by on presale this Halloween. Rich and I have been hustling for over a year to make this project happen, and the results are stunning. Late of the Guards: Tattoo Designs by Ben Corday brings to light dozens of rare photos, flash, and other never-before published items, including a monster 45-page book of designs by Corday, which we are presenting in breathtaking facsimile. It will be like holding the real artifact, not a cheap imitation! There will only be 750 copies available from . Stay tuned for updates.

09/16/2022

This 115 year-old tiger head is one of the many tattoo treasures currently on view at the Eustis Estate Museum in Milton, MA. It belonged to Boston area tattooer Joseph Hallworth, better known as the magician Kar-Mi. Our exhibit closes Oct. 30, so soak it in while you still can.

Address

Portsmouth, NH
03801

Telephone

+12036068380

Website

http://www.rakehouse.com/

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Videos

It doesn’t get better than this! Sam Adams brewed a tasty new beer to celebrate the opening of our exhibit in just a couple of weeks. The label is inspired by century-old designs by legendary Boston tattooer Frank Howard, whose original work will be featured in the show. There will be many exciting announcements to follow, so keep it locked! Posted @withregram • @samadamsbostonbrewery New Beer Alert! Crisp Lines Cream Ale was brewed for Loud, Naked, & in Three Colors—Historic New England’s exhibition on the history of tattooing in Boston. First brewed in the mid-1800’s, Cream Ales were America’s answer to Germany’s light lagers, a crisp and crushable style as embedded into American beer as tattoos are to our region. This light ale pays tribute to the nonconformist artists that brought tattooing into mainstream culture as we know it today. From one group of precise, rebellious creators to another, we raise a pint! Crisp Lines Cream Ale is now available at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery on draft and in 4-pack cans to-go. Loud, Naked, & in Three Colors will be at the Eustis Estate from June 10th to October 30th. Get tickets to join us for the opening event, Painted Circus, on June 9th. @historicnewengland @rakehouse