Tattoos date back many thousands of years.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of tattoos were found on circus performers or sailors. Tattoos were used to tell someone's personal story, as well as their professions. For example, it was common for a sailor to have an anchor tattoo.
Tattoos were not very common or socially acceptable until the mid 20th century. Up until this time, they were reserved for a small population, mainly those in the entertainment industry. Fully tattooed people became a popular attraction in and of themselves.
Tattoos and women at the beginning of the 20th century were not very compatible concepts: skirts and pants and are now badly associated with tattoos. However, even then there were quite radical (in the full sense of the word) ladies who covered their bodies with tattoos, despite the fact that it was socially unacceptable and too rare.
Here below is a set of stunning photographs that captured portraits of tattooed ladies in the early 20th century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of tattoos were found on circus performers or sailors. Tattoos were used to tell someone's personal story, as well as their professions. For example, it was common for a sailor to have an anchor tattoo.
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| Tattooed ladies from the early 20th century |
Tattoos were not very common or socially acceptable until the mid 20th century. Up until this time, they were reserved for a small population, mainly those in the entertainment industry. Fully tattooed people became a popular attraction in and of themselves.
Tattoos and women at the beginning of the 20th century were not very compatible concepts: skirts and pants and are now badly associated with tattoos. However, even then there were quite radical (in the full sense of the word) ladies who covered their bodies with tattoos, despite the fact that it was socially unacceptable and too rare.
Here below is a set of stunning photographs that captured portraits of tattooed ladies in the early 20th century.
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| Emma de Burgh, circa early 1900s |
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| Nora Hildebrandt, circa early 1900s |
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| Portrait of a tattooed lady in the early 1900s |
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| Tattooed lady with umbrella, circa 1900s |
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| Maude Wagner, 1908 |
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| Djita Salome, circa 1910s |
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| La bella Angora, circa 1910s |
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| Tattooed girl, circa 1910s |
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| Tattooed girl, 1912 |
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| Artoria Gibbons, 1920s |
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| Artoria Gibbons, 1920s |
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| Back of a tattooed lady, circa 1920s |
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| Beautiful lady with full of tattooed body, circa 1920s |
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| Edith Burchett, circa 1920s |
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| Lady Viola, circa 1920s |
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| May Vandermark, circa 1920s |
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| May Vandermark, circa 1920s |
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| Stelly Grossman, circa 1920s |
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| Tattooed body of a young woman, circa 1920s |
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| Tattooed girl in dress, circa 1920s |
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| Tattooed girl, circa 1920s |
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| Trixie Richardson, circa 1920s |
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| Beautiful lady with tattoos, circa late 1930s |
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| Betty Broadbent, circa 1930s |
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| Mildred Hull, circa 1930s |
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| Tattooed woman sitting on small table, 1931 |
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| Betty Broadbent, 1939 |
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| Back of a tattooed lady, circa 1940s |
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| Pamela Nash, circa 1940s |
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| Tattooed girl, circa 1940s |
