Sidney Eugene Diller. (Patreon)

Sailor Sid Diller and Alan Oversby, London, March 1978. 

I've been posting photos of Sailor Sid Diller since my first website back in 1995 (spcOnline)- a smiling septuagenarian with extensive tattooing and genital piercing, usually wearing a dixiecup style sailor hat, septum tusk, and nothing else, he's a ubiquitous face from the early years of the modern piercing revival.

I'd known who he was for years before that- 1989 via RE/Search's Modern Primitives, but never really put much out about the man behind the tusk- was he a Sailor? Was he a life-long tattoo artist? I should properly format this into a "who's who" type article, but for now, here's some raw data about Sidney Eugene Diller. 

B. Tuesday March 8th, 1910.
Sidney Eugene Diller.
POB Chicago, IL.
Mother: Daisy Diller, born 1874 Rhode Island.
Father: Moris Diller, born 1874 New York.
DOD: May 24th, 1990. (Age: 80)

Highlights:
1940, Hotel Electrician, Chicago.
1941-48 Electrician's Mate, US Coast Guard.
After his service traveled for several years.
Moved to Miami, FL 1950.
Electrician until he retired in 1974.

Body Art Highlights.
First piercing- left ear, 1944. Shipboard "ringing ceremony" with brother sailors.

"I had a friend in Miami about this time who had a piercing, a gold ring inserted in the middle of his chest. In other words, when his shirt was open- he always wore his shirt open from the neck- the ring was visible. This was actually one of the first piercings I had ever seen. It just totally freaked me out." - PFIQ 10, Interview by Jim Ward. 

S/Sid- I want to be a little different and stand out from the crowd. This is my feeling on it. Anyone can look very ordinary, but when you get into tattooing and piercing it speaks out, it tells people something about you. I have nothing to hide. I'm a piercing freak. I admit it, and I'm proud of it. That may be the sickest part of it all, but nevertheless, it's all great fun, and I enjoy the heck out of it. - PFIQ 10.

Ran the Silver Anchor Tattoo and Piercing studio out of his home, piercing and tattooing "exclusively" gay men. (We have photos that suggest exclusively wasn't the case) 

Sid was a tireless correspondent, sending photos, audio cassettes, and letters to piercing and tattoo fans all over the world.