Lot 100

Ralph Miller Tattoo Flash, Photo, and Ephemera Archive (Pennsylvania, 1920-1970) Largest: 24 x 11 in. (61 x 27.9 cm.)

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Ralph Miller Tattoo Flash, Photo, and Ephemera Archive (Pennsylvania, 1920-1970) Largest: 24 x 11 in. (61 x 27.9 cm.)

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Current Bid: $225

(2 Bids)

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

Ralph Miller Tattoo Flash, Photo, and Ephemera Archive
(Pennsylvania, 1920-1970)
A large collection of hand-painted and drawn tattoo flash, stencils, photographs, business cards, and related tattoo ephemera belonging to tattoo artist Ralph Miller (1937-2008) of Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania. Comprising approximately 30 sheets of tattoo flash of various sizes and by different hands, including three sheets of commercial flash by Milton Zeis and the Chicago Tattoo Supply Company; more than 100 tattoo stencils, tracings, drawings, and related works dating from the 1930s through the 1950s; four snapshot photographs of Miller in his mobile tattoo studio, dated 1959, including two depicting the heavily tattooed Bill Gavin; Miller's business card; a completed application for Milton Zeis's correspondence course, in which Miller notes that Max Pelz gave him his first tattoo; a Max Pelz business card from Coney Island; a Fezandie & Sperrle color envelope addressed to Miller; a Boyle Needle Company letter addressed to Miller; and five Milton Zeis supply catalogs (1947-1960) with related papers. Together with two large photographs depicting painted banners for the escape artist The Great Reno.

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.

  • Dimensions: Largest: 24 x 11 in. (61 x 27.9 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