Doc sleeping in the Parlour
For generations in Plymouth, getting your first tattoo meant one name above all others: Doc Price.
Doc, who was 93, became recognised as one of the pioneers of tattooing in the city, establishing his reputation long before tattoos became fashionable or widely accepted.
From the early 1970s onwards, thousands of locals and visitors passed through his studio, many getting their first tattoo from the man whose name would become synonymous with tattooing in Plymouth.
Doc wasn’t following a trend. He was helping to create one.
Long before social media and celebrity tattoo studios, his reputation spread by word of mouth. Sailors, dock workers, service personnel and local residents all found their way to Union Street, and for a particular generation of Plymothians, ask where they got their first tattoo and there was a good chance the answer would be Doc Price.
Earlier this year, the Plymouth Post visited Doc at the studio.
Although he was no longer tattooing himself, he was still very much part of the place. Lying comfortably on a bed, he watched his son Bill at work, offering advice and keeping a close eye on what was happening around him.
It was a touching sight, a tattooing pioneer watching the next generation continue the craft he had helped establish in Plymouth.
Bill continues the family tradition today, carrying forward a legacy built over decades.
Doc Price leaves behind far more than a collection of tattoos. His influence can be seen in the people he taught, the stories shared by generations of customers, and the countless Plymothians who will always remember the man who gave them their first piece of ink.
He was one of the first, one of the best, and a character who was loved by so many.
Plymouth has lost a true tattooing legend.
But Doc Price’s legacy will remain etched into the city for generations to come.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post