Lot 109

Jack Dracula Tattooed Man Souvenir Autobiography [Sideshow - Diane Arbus - Frankenstein -Pitch Book] (American, ca. 1960) 9 x 4 in. (22.9 x 10.2 cm.)

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Jack Dracula Tattooed Man Souvenir Autobiography [Sideshow - Diane Arbus - Frankenstein -Pitch Book] (American, ca. 1960) 9 x 4 in. (22.9 x 10.2 cm.)

Estimate: $150 - $250

Current Bid: $325

(7 Bids)

by Bray & Co. Auctions
July 26, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
33 Jewell Court
Portsmouth, NH, US 03801

Jack Dracula Tattooed Man Souvenir Autobiography [Sideshow - Diane Arbus - Frankenstein -Pitch Book]
(American, ca. 1960)
"The Jack Dracula Story," souvenir pitch book for tattoo artist and attraction Martin Semnack (1935-2011), better known as Jack Dracula. Printed on folded paper. From the collection of Ralph Miller.

Ralph Miller (1937–2008) spent much of his life in and around Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania, where he worked in his family's paint store and, for roughly two decades, tattooed from a custom-built mobile studio. Little is known about how he became interested in tattooing, but by 1956 he had already received work from Coney Island artist Max Pelz and was corresponding with Philadelphia mainstay Professor Harry Hoff. Photographs of Miller's trailer taken just a few years later show a fully equipped studio covered in flash and decorated with artwork and artifacts from the trade, including a set of old photographs of local tattooed grocer and friend William "Bill" Gavin, whose body suit was executed by Allentown tattoo artist Henry Biehler during the 1930s and 1940s.

Over the years, Miller accumulated a diverse group of tattoo material that extended far beyond his own career, including flash, photographs, and ephemera dating from the 1910s through the mid-1970s. Early commercial designs by Percy Waters and J. F. Barber survived alongside mid-century supply catalogs from Milton Zeiss and a souvenir pitchbook from Jack Dracula, bringing together material from several generations. Miller appears to have stopped tattooing in the early 1970s to focus on M&M Amusements, a traveling carnival company that for more than forty years supplied rides and games to fairs and carnivals throughout eastern Pennsylvania.


Jack Dracula

Raised in Brooklyn, Martin Semnack—better known as Jack Dracula—began collecting tattoos in Coney Island during the 1950s, receiving work from some of the era's most prominent artists, including Brooklyn Blackie, the Grecco Brothers, and later Stanley and Walter Moskowitz on the Bowery. He quickly became a fixture of the tattoo world, performing for shows, including the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus sideshow, and operating tattoo shops in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Philadelphia. His enduring fame was cemented by Diane Arbus's iconic 1961 photograph titled Jack Dracula, The Marked Man, N.Y.C., one of the most recognizable portraits of a heavily tattooed individual.

  • Dimensions: 9 x 4 in. (22.9 x 10.2 cm.)
  • Condition: Bray & Co. Auctions is committed to providing accurate and thorough catalog descriptions, but prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to examine property in person or request additional information prior to bidding. Condition statements are offered solely as a courtesy and reflect our general observations at the time of cataloging; they should not be regarded as complete or definitive descriptions of condition, nor as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Certain imperfections, restorations, or signs of wear may not be specifically noted in written reports but may be visible in the accompanying photographs, which form part of the overall condition description. Please consult our Terms of Sale for additional information, and contact Bray & Co. Auctions with any questions or requests for supplemental photographs or condition details.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000