History of Tattoo
Tattoo in America
From Subculture to Mainstream
Motive
Yangyang Lin
SOC103
Professor Jamie
Schulman
History of Tattoo
Tahitian terms “tatatau” or “tattau,” meaning “to hit or strike.
History of Tattoo
The earliest evidence of tattoos dates all the way back to 5200 BC with the discovery of an iceman on the
Austria-Italy border
nce:Cate Lineberry, “Tattoos: The Ancient and Mysterious History,”
Greeks and Romans used tattoos as a way to identify someone with a religion, slave owner, or criminal.
Tattoos were also used as a sign of worship and devotion.
Tattoos also acted as a symbol of status in England in the late nineteenth century. In 1862, the
Prince of Wales had the Jerusalem
Cross tattooed on his arm on a trip to the Holy Land.
Reference:Cate Lineberry, “Tattoos: The Ancient and Mysterious History,
Tattoo in American
The earliest American tattoos appear among sailors in the early
1800’s. As a result, most early tattoo artists practiced onboard ships or opened shops in seaports. Sailors often got tattoos out of superstition or pride for their roles in the wars.
Reference: Gilbert, Steve. Tattoo History: A Source Book. New York: Juno Books, 20
The first American tattoo studio was established in 1870 in New
York City by Martin Hildebrandt, a German immigrant who solidified his career as a tattoo artist during the Civil War.
By the twentieth century, every major American city had at least one tattoo studio.
Among the famous early
American tattoo artists was
Charles Wagner, born in 1875 in
Reference: Gilbert, Steve. Tattoo History: A Source Book. New York: Juno Books, 20
New York.
Tattoos prior to the
1970s and 1980s were signs of someone who was seen as “no good” by the mainstream.
Generally speaking, only outcasts from society such as gang members, sailors, and criminals had tattoos Reference:Lineberry, Cate. “Tattoos: The Ancient and Mysterious History.” Smithsonian.com. 01 Jan.
However, as the countercultural revolution of 1960s began to take place and mass society began searching for new outlets of expression, tattoos gained a small bit of acceptance.
Reference: Gilbert, Steve. Tattoo History: A Source Book. New York: Juno Books, 20
Gradually since then, tattoos have become more and more common and accepted by society to the point where many businessmen
have