A tattoo is a form of a body modification made by inserting special needles with indelible ink into the dermis layer of skin to change the pigment.

Tattoos are known from the ancient times. The original meaning of tattoo were the ritual rites. In many cultures the only people who could wear tattoos were the Chiefs of the tribes. Only someone who killed an enemy and got his tattooed head could wear tattoos.

The most popular way of tattooing that time was the facial tattooing called “Moko” which is still being used nowadays.

‘Moko’ facial tattoo

History of tattooing

The earliest record of tattoos was found in 1991 on the frozen remains of Ötzi the “Iceman” who was dated from the 4th to 5th millennium BC. His lower back, left wrist, right and left ankle, behind his left knee and foot were worked with several dots and lines, made by “rubbing powdered charcoal into vertical cuts”. These tattoos are thought to be made to reduce the pain, because their placement resembles acupuncture.
Ötzi, the “Iceman”, 1991.

Egypt was another place with a long large number of mummies found covered with tattoos – at first lines and dots, later images representing different gods. As much as Egyptians were expanding their empire, the art of tattooing spread as well to other civilizations like: Crete, Greece, Persia, Arabia, and finally around 2000 BC it spread to China.

It is believed that Greeks were using tattoos for communication between spies, Romans marked criminals and slaves. Over the time Romans attitudes towards tattoos changed. While fighting with an army of Britain’s some of them admired the Britain’s soldiers body art and soon Roman soldiers started to wear their own body marks and art.

The Ainu people of western Asia used tattoos to show their social status. Then they spread body painting to Japan where it took part in religious and ceremonial rites. Since around the 5th century BC Japanese tattoos were used for beautification, magic and to mock criminals. First-time offenders were marked with a line across the forehead. After this an arch was added, together these marks formed the Japanese symbol for “dog”. Because Japanese customs of wearing kimonos was reserved only for royalty and the elite, lower social classes rebelled by wearing tattooed body suits. Nowadays the custom of full body painting is still practised in Yakuza-Japanese gangster class. In 1870 Japanese government outlawed tattoos because of the entrance to a new era of international relationship, so the tattoo artists went under-ground where the art of tattooing developed.

The art of tattooing was known in other parts of the world as well. In Borneo women were tattoo artists. It was a cultural tradition. Kayan women had delicate tattoos on their hands, which look like lay gloves. Dayak warriors had also their hands tattooed.

The next important era in the history of tattooing is in Polynesia. First they used tattoos to mark tribal communities and families and to show their rank. They spread their art to New Zealand. There is also evidence that tattoos were used by Mayan, Aztec and Incas in rituals. Even in Alaska the art was known, they learned it from the Ainu.
In the west, early Britains used tattooed family crests which are still practised. Then it disappeared from Western culture from 12th to the 16th century. William Dampler is the one who brought the art of tattooing to the West.
In 1691 he came back to London from his travel to the South Seas and brought a heavily tattooed Polynesian waved Prince Giolo known as the Painted Prince. He and his tattoos become a business card of London.

Giolo, the “Painted Prince”, 1692.
In the 1700’s Captain Cook made second trip to the South Pacific. In 1769 he landed in Tahiti where the word “tattoo” were already known and meant tapping the mark into a body. One of the methods used to make a tattoo was attaching razor-edged shell to the end of the stick. For one of his voyages Captain James Cook brought a Polynesian called Omai. His body was covered with many tattoos. Soon the upper-class started getting small tattoos in discrete places and tattoo became very popular and fashioned.

What kept the art of tattooing from becoming a worldwide practice was the fact that it was a slow and painful procedure.

The birth place of American style tattoo was Chatam Square in New York City. In 1891 in New York American inventor Samuel O’Reilly modified Thomas Edison’s electric pen creating the first electric tattoo machine. The basic parts of it like: moving coil, a tube and a needle bar are still components of today’s tattoo guns. Inventing an electric tattoo machine made tattoos widely available for people from all social classes. The same upper-classes turned away from it.
Samuel O’Reilly’s tattoo machine
The first twin coil machine, was invented in London by Englishman, Alfred Charles South. His construction was based on a door bell, assembly in a plate steel box with brass slabs attached to each side. It was heavy and was often used with a spring attached to the top of the machine and to the ceiling to take most of the weight off the operators’ hand.

The first American twin coil machine came five years after Alfred South’s British patent from Charles Wagner of New York. The machine had the coils set side by side; transverse to the frame. The inspiration for this came from Thomas Edison and his improved engraving instruments as the coil placement and contact bars are very close in design. The two coils were set side by side as in a telegraph machine and required a cross shaped armature. This was not a simple machine to manufacture, but sold well to the professional tattooists and amateurs alike. Charlie Wagner worked closely with Samuel O’Reilly who had previous experience researching and adapting Edison’s patents. After O’Reilly’s death he took control of the business and opened a business with Law Albert. Albert was trained as a wallpaper designer and brought his skills into tattoo business.
South’s and Wagner’s tattoos machines
By the turns of centuries people lost their interest in tattooing. Heavily tattooed people started traveling with circuses and “freak shows”.

One of the most popular “circus attractions” was Betty Broadbent who travelled with Ringling Brothers Circus and Cole Brothers circuses in 1930’s as “The Youngest Tattooed Woman in The World." Betty Broadbent was one of the most famous tattooed ladies in America and the world. She became a star for years.

Betty Broadband, 1930’s

The cultural view of tattoos became so poor that tattoo artists were forced underground again. They were forced to hide in closed societies, covering their tattoos to the outside world. Tattoo equipment suppliers rarely advertised their products. This stigma and silence lasted on the craft of tattooing for around 50 years.

While tattooing was slowly getting its popularity back in New York City, in Chatam Square it flourished. Husbands were tattooing portraits of their wives as an advertisement of their work as tattooists. At this time cosmetic tattooing become more famous among woman. Blush for cheek, eyeliner and coloured lips were chosen by many woman.

In 1920’s when the prohibition spread all over the country Chatam Square lost its appeal. The centre for tattooists moved to Coney Island. Tattoos become a business card for soldiers and shops were opening close to military bases.

For next few years it was getting it’s popularity ebbed and flowed, with periods of popularity followed by periods of quiet. Most of shops had sterilization machines but only few of them used them. There had been reports of blood poisoning, hepatitis and other diseases caused by dirty needles. Soon the government got involved in tattoo business and tattoos became illegal again and had very bad reputation. The centre of tattooing moved from New York to Philadelphia and New Jersey where it was still legal. Another relapse of popularity of tattoos had place in 1960’s. The most popular artist that time in United States was Lyle Tuttle, who tattooed celebrities, mostly woman.

Lyle Tuttle, in 1960’s and at Atlanta Tattoo Festival

Tattoos nowadays

Nowadays tattooing become a specific and very popular form of art known all over the world. People’s attitude to tattoos has changed. Tattoos are no longer seen as a criminal mark but also as a beautification mark. They have become easily accessible and relatively cheap. Tattoo artists are taking part in different competitions to show the world their skills and new trends in tattooing business.