These girls were employed outside a tent on the midway. There are some fabric ties to affix them to the tent wings. It’s very well done and puts in doubt the idea that the tattooer painted in what looks like Carnival One Shot, the sassy but in good taste, ladies. Hard to determine age as the ship is three masted – not a modern battleship WWII vintage and the mermaids and snakes, etc are all very old school. The girls’ expression looks later. Our guess is 30’s to 40’s era, pre-WWII anyway. If this didn’t grab you by the shirt collar and drag you into the tent, we don’t know what would.
Below is a later business card from a Sailor Bill. Not at all sure it’s the same artist though. There is a Kistler K. “Sailor Bill” Killingsworth (1921-1997), but accordingly, he did not work the carnival circuit or have stand up gals like this. And there is no address like this in Georgia where Mr. Killingsworth set up his shop.
