Tom Riley

Tom Riley (1870-?) was a prominent English tattoo artist in the late 19th century and early 20th century, nicknamed "Professor". Riley's work, alongside rivals Alfred South and Sutherland MacDonald, was part of establishing an English style of tattooing. Early life and military service Riley was born Thomas Clarkson in 1870, from Leeds, Yorkshire. He was apprenticed as a bricklayer but chose not to pursue that profession. Riley enlisted in the British Army in 1889; while in the army, he learned tattooing and worked on many other soldiers and officers. Riley also fought in the Second Boer War between 1899-1902 and in Sudan. Career Riley took drawing classes at a mechanics' institute in Leeds and opened a tattoo shop in Liverpool near the docks. He then went to Glasgow and built a reputation there, was invited to tattoo at the Royal Aquarium in London, then opened his own shop on the Strand in London. Riley tattooed King Edward VII.