History of tattoos

The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian
"tatu" which means "to mark something."
It is arguably claimed that tattooing has
existed since 12,000 years BC. The
purpose of tattooing has varies from
culture to culture and its place on the
time line. But there are commonalties
that prevail form the earliest known
tattoos to those being done on college
students on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley.
Tattoos have always had an important
role in ritual and tradition. In Borneo,
women tattooed their symbols on their
forearm indicating their particular skill. If
a woman wore a symbol indicating she
was a skilled weaver, her status as prime
marriageable material was increased.
Tattoos around the wrist and fingers were
believed to ward away illness. Throughout
history tattoos have signified membership
in a clan or society. Even today groups
like the Hells Angels tattoo their
particular group symbol. TV and movies
have used the idea of a tattoo indication
membership in a secret society numerous
times. It has been believed that the
wearer of an image calls the spirit of that
image. The ferocity of a tiger would
belong to the tattooed person. That
tradition holds true today shown by the
proliferation of images of tigers, snakes,
and bird of prey.
In recorded history, the earliest tattoos
can be found in Egypt during the time of
the construction of the great pyramids (It
undoubtedly started much earlier). When
the Egyptians expanded their empire, the
art of tattooing spread as well. The
civilizations of Crete, Greece, Persia, and
Arabia picked up and expanded the art
form. Around 2000 BC tattooing spread
to China.
The Greeks used tattooing for
communication among spies. Markings
identified the spies and showed their
rank. Romans marked criminals and
slaves. This practice is still carried on
today. The Ainu people of western Asia
used tattooing to show social status. Girls
coming of age were marked to announce
their place in society, as were the married
women. The Ainu are noted for
introducing tattoos to Japan where it
developed into a religious and ceremonial
rite. In Borneo, women were the
tattooists. It was a cultural tradition. They
produced designs indicating the owners
station in life and the tribe he belonged
to. Kayan women had delicate arm tattoos
which looked like lacy gloves. Dayak
warriors who had "taken a head" had
tattoos on their hands. The tattoos
garnered respect and assured the owners
status for life. Polynesians developed
tattoos to mark tribal communities,
families, and rank. They brought their art
to New Zealand and developed a facial
style of tattooing called Moko which is
still being used today. There is evidence
that the Mayan, Incas, and Aztecs used
tattooing in the rituals. Even the isolated
tribes in Alaska practiced tattooing, their
style indicating it was learned from the
Ainu.
In the west, early Britons used tattoos in
ceremonies. The Danes, Norse, and
Saxons tattooed family crests (a tradition
still practiced today). In 787 AD, Pope
Hadrian banned tattooing. It still thrived
in Britain until the Norman Invasion of
1066. The Normans disdained tattooing.
It disappeared from Western culture from
the 12th to the 16th centuries.
While tattooing diminished in the west, it
thrived in Japan. At first, tattoos were
used to mark criminals. First offenses
were marked with a line across the
forehead. A second crime was marked by
adding an arch. A third offense was
marked by another line. Together these
marks formed the Japanese character for
"dog". It appears this was the original
"Three strikes your out" law. In time, the
Japanese escalated the tattoo to an
aesthetic art form. The Japanese body
suit originated around 1700 as a reaction
to strict laws concerning conspicuous
consumption. Only royalty were allowed
to wear ornate clothing. As a result of
this, the middle class adorned themselves
with elaborate full body tattoos. A highly
tattooed person wearing only a loin cloth
was considered well dressed, but only in
the privacy of their own home.
William Dampher is responsible for re-
introducing tattooing to the west. He was
a sailor and explorer who traveled the
South Seas. In 1691 he brought to London
a heavily tattooed Polynesian named
Prince Giolo, Known as the Painted
Prince. He was put on exhibition , a
money making attraction, and became the
rage of London. It had been 600 years
since tattoos had been seen in Europe
and it would be another 100 years before
tattooing would make it mark in the
West.
In the late 1700s, Captain Cook made
several trips to the South Pacific. The
people of London welcomed his stories
and were anxious to see the art and
artifacts he brought back. Returning form
one of this trips, he brought a heavily
tattooed Polynesian named Omai. He was
a sensation in London. Soon, the upper-
class were getting small tattoos in
discreet places. For a short time tattooing
became a fad.
What kept tattooing from becoming more
widespread was its slow and painstaking
procedure. Each puncture of the skin was
done by hand the ink was applied. In
1891, Samuel O'Rtiely patented the first
electric tattooing machine. It was based
on Edison's electric pen which punctured
paper with a needle point. The basic
design with moving coils, a tube and a
needle bar, are the components of
today's tattoo gun. The electric tattoo
machine allowed anyone to obtain a
reasonably priced, and readily available
tattoo. As the average person could easily
get a tattoo, the upper classes turned
away from it.
By the turn of the century, tattooing had
lost a great deal of credibility. Tattooists
worked the sleazier sections of town.
Heavily tattooed people traveled with
circuses and "freak Shows." Betty
Brodbent traveled with Ringling Brothers
Circus in the 1930s and was a star
attraction for years.
The cultural view of tattooing was so poor
for most of the century that tattooing
went underground. Few were accepted
into the secret society of artists and there
were no schools to study the craft. There
were no magazines or associations. Tattoo
suppliers rarely advertised their products.
One had to learn through the scuttlebutt
where to go and who to see for quality
tattoos.
The birthplace of the American style
tattoo was Chatham Square in New York
City. At the turn of the century it was a
seaport and entertainment center
attracting working-class people with
money. Samuel O'Riely cam from Boston
and set up shop there. He took on an
apprentice named Charlie Wagner. After
O'Reily's death in 1908, Wagner opened a
supply business with Lew Alberts. Alberts
had trained as a wallpaper designer and
he transferred those skills to the design
of tattoos. He is noted for redesigning a
large portion of early tattoo flash art.
While tattooing was declining in
popularity across the country, in Chatham
Square in flourished. Husbands tattooed
their wives with examples of their best
work. They played the role of walking
advertisements for their husbands' work.
At this time, cosmetic tattooing became
popular, blush for cheeks, coloured lips,
and eyeliner. With world war I, the flash
art images changed to those of bravery
and wartime icons.
In the 1920s, with prohibition and then
the depression, Chathma Square lost its
appeal. The center for tattoo art moved
to Coney Island. Across the country,
tattooists opened shops in areas that
would support them, namely cities with
military bases close by, particularly naval
bases. Tattoos were know as travel
markers. You could tell where a person
had been by their tattoos.
After world war II, tattoos became further
denigrated by their associations with
Marlon Brando type bikers and Juvenile
delinquents. Tattooing had little respect
in American culture. Then, in 1961 there
was an outbreak of hepatitis and
tattooing was sent reeling on its heels.
Though most tattoo shops had
sterilization machines, few used them.
Newspapers reported stories of blood
poisoning, hepatitis, and other diseases.
The general population held tattoo parlors
in disrepute. At first, the New York City
government gave the tattoos an
opportunity to form an association and
self- regulate, but tattooists are
independent and they were not able to
organize themselves. A health code
violation went into effect and the tattoo
shops at Times Square and Coney Island
were shut down. For a time, it was
difficult to get a tattoo in New York. It
was illegal and tattoos had a terrible
reputation. Few people wanted a tattoo.
The better shops moved to Philadelphia
and New Jersey where it was still legal.
In the late 1960s, the attitude towards
tattooing changed. Much credit can be
given to Lyle Tuttle. He is a handsome,
charming, interesting and knows how to
use the media. He tattooed celebrities,
particularly women. Magazines and
television went to Lyle to get information
about this ancient art form.
Toady, tattooing is making a strong
comeback. It is more popular and
accepted than it has ever been. All classes
of people seek the best tattoo artists.
This rise in popularity has placed tattoists
in the category of "fine artist". The
tattooist has garnered a respect not seen
for over 100 years. Current artists
combine the tr5adition of tattooing with
their personal style creating unique and
phenomenal body art. With the addition
of new inks, tattooing has certainly
reached a new plateau.