History of Tattoos In America: Everything You Need to Know

Many of you may not know this but tattooing has a long and storied history in America. This is a shame as a good understanding of the history of tattooing can further your appreciation of tattooing as art. To help you out, we thought it would be useful to put together a brief discussion on this subject. If this is something that you want to learn more about, read on for a brief breakdown of the history of tattoos in America.

Early History of Tattoos In America

At the end of the 19th century, tattoos were widely considered taboo in America. Socialite Ward McAllister disparaged them as “the most vulgar and barbarous habit the eccentric mind of fashion ever invented.”

McAllister, a socialite, may have looked down upon tattoos, but there were many who valued them for the courage and patriotism they represented. For example, military members understood that tattoos were symbols of courage and patriotism.

The records of 19th century-style American tattoos come from the logs written by sailors and marines during the Age of Sail. These designs and techniques evolved as soldiers and sailors traded techniques, embellished each other’s work, and received tattooed souvenirs while they were at war. This style of tattoo has a set of rich symbolic meanings that connect soldiers and sailors across the world.

One of the most well-known tattoo artists of the time was Martin Hildebrandt. In 1870, he opened up his studio on Oak Street in New York, considered the first one in America. He worked there for over 20 years, where he would see a shift in perception of tattoos with the rise of the traveling circus. He was often recruited by traveling circuses to tattoo their artists and freaks, which helped bring attention to the tattoo industry.

Influence of Circus Sideshows

The traveling circus was the spectacle of the year for many small, rural towns across America. For those who never left, it was a chance to be awed by the fantastic sight of fairies and magicians, as well as by the horrifying sight of half-human creatures and creepy clowns.

One of the sideshow attractions was the display of the fully tattooed person. Frank and Emma DeBurdg were one of these exhibits. For their tattooed art, they displayed patriotic insignias, religious symbols, and even tattoos of their family members’ names to represent their bond and relationship.

Frank’s back was covered in a beautiful script: “Forget me not,” it read. A portrait of his wife, Emma, was tattooed above it. She got the same treatment, but she had used her own name for the quote and a different picture for the image. However, her tattoo was subtly shaped to show off his name as well.

The DeBurdgs' display of affection for one another caught the attention of the public, which appealed to people's romantic sensibilities. The couple saw great success touring America and Europe, thus increasing the popularity of tattooing.

O’Reilly’s Innovation

Traditional tattoos required a great deal of effort on the part of tattoo artists. Early tattoo artists used a needle attached to a wooden handle that they dipped in an ink well and then stabbed the skin several times to imprint ink on a specific spot. The process required great skill and concentration.

Samuel O’Reilly became famous overnight after inventing the electric tattoo machine. He was a talented artist and a skilled technician, so he designed a machine that combined the best of both worlds. Using a motor to provide both the up and down movement and a dial to control the speed, he revolutionized the industry.

In 1891, O’Reilly revolutionized the tattoo trade when he invented the tattoo machine and offered it to the public along with “flash” designs and other tools. Tattooing in the United States was turned on its head overnight, and artists flocked to enter the field of tattooing.

Conclusion

We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to furthering your understanding of the history of tattooing in America. While this may seem like a lot to take in, the information that we’ve laid out here should be enough to give you good foundational knowledge. Be sure to keep everything that you’ve learned here in mind so that you can have a deeper and more meaningful understanding of tattooing.

Certified Tattoo is the best tattoo parlor in Colorado that can bring your ideal tattoo to life. We have over 30 of the best tattoo artists around specializing in just about every tattoo style possible: realism, traditional cover-ups, full color, abstract, and more. Contact us today for a consultation!