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Getting a tattoo can be a wonderful experience or a
nerverackingexperience. The best way to make your first tattoo agood experience
is to understand what is going on during theprocedure.In this part, we will go
over the history of tattooing and itssocial significance. You will learn how
tattoos work and what is being used to create them.
Tattooing is probably one of the few professions that
hasbeen around longer than prostitution. Tattooing has hadthe same amount of
persecution, if not more. Evidence oftattoo implements has been found in Europe,
and datesback between 10,000 and 30,000 B.C.E. If your parents orgrandparents
want to give you grief for getting a tattoo,you can remind them that further
back in the family tree,by a few thousand years, your ancestors were most
likelygetting tattooed by the campfire. That probably won’t dissuadethem, but at
least you tried.
The sailors who
came into contact with the different tattoo culturesbegan to collect tattoos
themselves. They started to tattooeach other, by hand, and brought the craft
back home. Differentdesigns for tattoos were being created and kept in the
studios forreuse. These designs came to be known as flash. England was apopular
spot for tattooing because many naval officers would gettattooed, as well as
British royalty. Hori Chyo tattooed the Dukeof York in Yokohama in 1882; the
Duke of York later became KingGeorge V.
The popularity of tattooing
inEngland spread and soon there weretattoo shops in every port. Tattooingwas
imported to U.S. ports whereit flourished in New York. It wasin New York where
the advent ofelectricity modernized the tattooprocess.
The First Machine
In 1891, a New Yorker named Samuel O’Reilly patented the firstelectric
tattoo machine. O’Reilly had been tattooing by handon the infamous Bowery (Third
Avenue) in lower Manhattan.He took an electric rotary engraving device created
by ThomasEdison and modified it so it could be used for tattooing. O’Reillysoon
offered the device for sale, along with designs, colors, andother tattoo
supplies. This created a boom of new tattooists.
The Circus
In the
nineteenth century, circuses started using heavily tattooedpeople as part of the
“Freak Show.” Some of the sailors wouldcome back from Polynesia, covered in
tattoos. The mainstreamWestern world had never seen that before and would pay to
seethe tattooed “freaks.” Some heavily tattooed people even had audienceswith
the various royal families of Europe.In 1842, P. T. Barnumemployed James F.
O’Connellas the first tattooed manever on exhibit in the UnitedStates. Many
circuses alsoemployed tattooists to tattoothe circus goers. Places likeConey
Island became hotspotsfor tattooing.
The Sailor Tatoo
In the early
twentieth century, tattooing primarily flourishedin the ports of major cities
such as New York and Copenhagen.Sailors would spend their money on booze and
tattoos. Thedesigns usually consisted of pin-up girls, sailing ships,
roses,anchors, and hearts, to name a few. Tattooists would see tattoosfrom other
tattooists in different countries. It wasn’t long beforetattooists began to
contact each other.Sailor Jerry Collins was a tattooist working in Honolulu and
wascontacted by the Japanese tattooist Kazuo Oguri in 1970. The twotraded
information, such as where to get good colors as well asdesign concepts. Sailor
Jerry was also in contact with two youngertattooists, Mike Malone and Ed Hardy.
Soon Kazuo Oguri wasintroduced to Malone and Hardy, and a bridge between
Japanesetattooing and western tattooing was built.
The Tattoo convention
Tattooists have traditionally been very secretive, but by themid ’70s,
tattooists started to get together. Tattooists started toorganize tattoo
conventions. The conventions became meetinggrounds for tattooists to share
ideas,show their work, and drink together.Bonds were formed and tattooistsbegan
to visit each other, workingin each other’s shops. Conventionsalso allowed for
tattoo enthusiasts toget tattooed by someone who livedin another state or
country. Todaythere are tattoo conventions all thetime, all over the world.
Tattoo
Commercialism
Tattooing has become so popular and socially
accepted that it hasbecome highly marketable. Miami Ink, a reality TV show
abouta tattoo shop on South Beach, has broadened the acceptance oftattooing.
Many corporations such as Camel cigarettes are usingtattoo designs in their
advertisement campaigns to reach customers.Ed Hardy, one of the pioneers of
tattooing, even has his ownenergy drink and clothing line. Christian Audigier,
who also madeVon Dutch a household name, runs Ed Hardy Vintage TattooWear. Ed
Hardy Vintage Tattoo Wear is geared toward high-endfashion and has numerous pop stars such as Lil Jon featured in its
advertisements.
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