History of Tattoos

dissertation extract.

 

 

In order to understand tattoos place in current society it is essential to know the history of the tattoo in Europe and America. The origins and associations of the tattoo over the years have had a huge impact on the modern idea of a tattoo as its forms and wearers have altered dramatically over the years and have shaped the modern tattoo and the modern stereotypes of tattooed individuals. Originally tattoos were used by small tribes for numerous reasons including initiation rituals, exchange and identity; these tattoos were basic lines and pictures that created intricate designs. When the Greeks first came in contact with these tribes they considered them primitive designs associated with primitive individuals, however, they were adopted by the Greeks as a way to mark exiles and criminals (Fisher, 2002). The marks were considered to represent those who are outside accepted society and started the long standing association between tattoos and ‘outsiders’. The Romans adopted this technique often marking criminals with their crime as they felt that this visible marking would ensure that the criminals could never escape their deed and that society would know what the individual had done (Gustafson, 2000). This practice went out of fashion over the years and tattooing remained a very rare practice up until its rediscovery by Captain Cook in 1769. He discovered Tahiti with the British navy and brought back the practice of tattooing to Europe when his crew and he started to be tattooed by natives in 1784 reintroducing the practice of tattoos into wider society. Cook was also the first westerner to use the Tahiti word ta-tu or tatua and introduced the word to Europe, before this tattoos were known as pricking. The mixing of western and native ideas created new designs that mixed the geometric native designs with western images such as boats and guns (DeMello, 2000:45). After this reintroduction tattoo shops opened in both America and Europe and tattoos became a part of society, particularly amongst the working class and sailors. It was in fact sailors, and later people in carnivals, that helped the transition of tattoos from primitive to something exotic and adventurous (DeMello, 2000:49).

                        From this reintroduction tattoos have remained within western society until modern day but have went through many changes. Tattooing was not a socially acceptable act until the late 1800’s when it became fashionable with the middle and upper class. Up until this time tattoos were purely adopted by sailors, military men and the working class and were rudimentary designs poorly done. Tattoos became more popular with the middle and upper classes at this time for two main reasons; the introduction of Japanese style tattoos and the invention of the electric tattoo machine by Sam O’Reilly in roughly 1892 (Fisher, 2002). The Japanese style was popular among the higher classes as it embodied a sense of worldliness and sophistication and was used as a way to impress others in society. A distinct class divide still existed in the imagery and use of tattoos. The lower classes used tattoos as a means to express themselves to society while the upper classes used tattoos as a means to impress others. This class divide has prevailed through time and still exists today to some extent, with lower class tattoos typically being of poorer quality due to money restraints as cheaper tattoos are of a lower quality. These tattoos are looked down upon while upper class tattoos are of better quality and often flaunted by the wearer because these people can afford to pay for the higher quality and wish to show it off. The invention of the electric tattoo machine also contributed greatly to the growing popularity of tattoos in all classes. This machine meant tattoos were less painful and required less skill in the part of the tattooist so more tattoo shops opened up. New images and styles were easily achieved and led to the growth of the tattoo industry. Sam O’Reilly also introduced flash sheets to the tattooing word. These are sheets of basic tattoo designs, such as a red rose, that most if not all, tattoo shops have on display. These tattoos are mass-produced and are still commonly associated with the working class (Fisher, 2002). The growing popularity of tattoos also led to a growing culture divide in terms of quality and design.

            From the early 1800s right through till the early 1900s heavily tattooed men and women entered circuses and travelling shows as ‘freak’ attractions (DeMello, 2000:56). These tattooed individuals were in competition with each other and they had to have larger numbers of tattoos to remain in employment. By 1932 there were roughly three hundred completely tattooed individuals in travelling shows. This created a strong association between tattoos and deviant behaviour as the tattooed individuals were considered ‘outsiders’ and ‘freaks’, an echo of the ideas from the Romans and Greeks. Often the tattooed individual would claim to have been held captive by natives and forcibly tattooed; this added a level of danger and exoticism to the whole experience of seeing a tattooed individual. When women first entered the tattoo scene they completely upstaged their male counterparts. Due to the captive stories the women were considered feminine and refined despite their tattoos because they had not chosen to be tattooed but forced. Overt sexual overtones were laced through their stories and in order to show their tattoos they had to wear very little clothes which created a very strong link between sexuality and tattoos. This sexual image of women clashed with the traditional image of chaste, demure women, this made tattooed women more exotic but it created an association between tattoos and sexuality with women. These tattooed women’s acts were also known commonly as a ‘freak show with a peep show’ (Mifflin, 1997). This idea of women and tattoos exist still today with many tattooed women being considered sexually promiscuous. Eventually these travelling shows died out and the novelty of seeing a tattooed individual wore off, however the connection between tattoos and social outsiders continued in society’s collective image of tattoos.

Although tattoos worn by carnival people were highly socially unacceptable, tattoos linked to the military in the years between World War one and two were highly regarded due to the association with Uncle Sam and the fighting boys in America. This strong association between the military and tattoos was a continuation from their use during the civil war. Any individual with a tattoo was assumed to serve in the military and strongly influenced society’s idea on tattoos and tattooed individuals. This period strongly influenced the design and placement of tattoos for the future (DeMello, 2000:63). However, from the 1950’s onwards tattoos popularity went downhill. Military tattoos were rejected by society as they were a reminder of the damage caused by the wars and many ex-servicemen found it difficult to get employment due to their tattoos. It is at this time that gang tattoos also came into the public eye and cemented the negative image of them. This is when being tattooed restricted an individual’s employment and social mobility as many associated them with gangs or ex-military, both groups which were perceived as unwanted (Govenar, 2000). In many cities in America tattooing was banned and the biker community adopted them as a way to openly rebel creating a new style of tattoo revolving around images such as skulls and motorbikes. During this period there were a few women with tattoos; those who did were either part of the biker gang or of the sexual revolution. These women were often ridiculed by wider society and helped to create the masculine image of tattooed women as either being gay or tough. Steward (1990) famously said in his book that women with tattoos were ‘lank-haired scrags with ruined landscape faces and sagging hose and run-over heels’. This was a common perception of women with tattoos in this time. Tattoos eventually became popular again in the 1970s and have grown in popularity since for a number of reasons including celebrities and TV programmes centred on tattoo shops. However, the past opinions of tattoos still echo in the minds of people today and affect the stereotypes and image of tattoos. The strong stigma attached to tattoos still prevails, particularly towards women with tattoos.