The Body Manipulations Shop in San Francisco

I first went to Body Manipulations in 1990 not long after they first opened their Fillmore Street shop. My friend Jayson had been there once and was quite impressed: he was the one who specifically brought me to Body M. I was lucky enough to be pierced a few times by original co-owner Esther, before she went to Amsterdam and opened their sister shop.

The gentleman is Vaughn, co-owner/founder of Body Manipulations. I've seen him hang by 10g steel fishhooks in clubs around town. He has a great full back tribal tattoo by Greg Kulz, and Vaughn did Greg's backpiece in trade.

The bottom photo is the piercing tools, laid out on an antique doctor's table. The old Fillmore shop was like being in a pair of joined walk-in closets. The front room had large windows, and the whole store could become boiling on a sunny fall day.

Now Body Manipulations is located in the Mission District at 16th and Guerrero Streets.