Elizabeth Weinziril (video) (Patreon)

Working with aging VHS is a frustrating, time consuming process that sometimes yields results that are alchemical (gold from... not gold) but for the most part, its a compromise of admitting to yourself that the terrible results are at the very least better than the content of the cassette being lost forever. 

I was asked to transfer a copy of WORLD'S GREATEST TATTOO FAN (directed and produced by Mary Jane Haake, 1989) from a decades old video by a friend, and, frankly, the tape wasn't cooperating. This version- import three- was the best of the lot, with the audio frustratingly bad. But still... unless the rights holders eventually release a remastered version, I'm happy to help this film stay alive. 

Elizabeth was known as the World's Greatest Tattoo Fan- here's a rundown of her tattoo history from the Tattoo Archive:

1902 – June 2 born Elizabeth Halberstadt, Brooklyn, NY, tattooed seafaring father, seamstress mother.
1918 - Drove from Seattle, Washington to Brooklyn, New York in 6 weeks and back again with mother and cousin, traveling some on the Lincoln Highway
1920 – Enrolled in the University of Washington.
1925 – Married Adolph Weinzirl, a medical student.
1937 – Moved to Portland, Oregon.
1947 – First tattooed by Max Pelz, of Portland a butterfly design, six months later was tattooed by Frank Martin, Seattle.
1947 – First tattooed by Bert Grimm.
1950s – Tattooed by Bert in Long Beach, California.
1958 – Featured in Jack Linkletter’s TV show.
1967 – Adolph died.
1976 – Started going to tattoo conventions.
1976 – Voted Fan of the Year at the Houston convention.
1977 – Voted Fan of the Year at the Reno convention.
1979 – Voted Fan of the Year at the Denver convention.
1981 – Tattooed by Don Nolan.
1981 – The National Tattoo Association created the Elizabeth Weinzirl Award for the enthusiast of the year.
1984 – Featured on Japanese television.
1993 – Elizabeth died September 8th.

Our additions:

1964- Attended one of the earliest tattoo conventions. (1)
1978- Traveled to Europe with Jim Ward, Sailor Sid Diller, and Doug Malloy. Visited Alan "Mr. Sebastian" Oversby and the Amsterdam tattoo convention. (2)

1. On 5 October, 1964 I organized probably the first tattoo convention in the U.S.A. and if you hadn’t already guessed it, Elizabeth Weinziril was, of course, there. That was the time when a few young artist such a sailor Jerry Collins of Honolulu started to change the style of American tattoos. The beginnings were small and the magazine only mimeographed, but it was a start. Unfortunately my job became more and more demanding so that the December 1966 issue of Tattoo News was the last to appear. I had nothing to do with the later magazine which took over my title. - Rudy Inhelder. 

2. "Elizabeth Weinzirl had a reputation as the grandmother of the tattoo community. At the time of this trip she was in her mid 70s though she could easily have passed for 60. She was a widow, her husband having been dead for a number of years. She was a delightful, friendly woman, very much at ease in a wide variety of surroundings. Being around gay men didn’t phase her. Truth be told I think she was a bit of a fag hag. She seemed to bask in their presence, and on this trip she had ample opportunity." -Jim Ward.