| Tattoos and body piercings have grown in | | | | suppliers are well known and there are a wide |
| popularity over the past few decades. Once only | | | | variety of brands to choose from inks, tattoo |
| reserved for tribes, sailors, or criminals, the | | | | machines, needles, and even tattoo shop supplies |
| meaning of tattoos and the reasons for people | | | | such as flash designs, chairs, and more. Younger |
| getting them have changed dramatically. | | | | generations are catching onto this art form and |
| A Brief History | | | | have made having a tattoo almost a rite of |
| Like body piercings, tattoos are created by the | | | | passage when one turns 18 in America. As more |
| constant application of ink just under the | | | | and more people of all walks of life have tattoos, |
| subcutaneous layer of the skin with a needle. At | | | | the old stereotypes of tattooing that previously |
| first, many tribes, sailors, and other groups used | | | | kept tattooing underground and unsafe has |
| to apply the ink by hand. This was a long, painful | | | | become outdated. |
| process and the marked people were usually of | | | | Now getting a tattoo is easier, mildly less painful, |
| high status. The tattoos were often a sign of | | | | and relatively faster than ever before. The results |
| respect, rank, and social status. Since the tattoos | | | | of sitting in a chair in one position for a few hours |
| are permanent, the owners were guaranteed | | | | are much more satisfying to see a beautiful piece |
| respect for life. | | | | of art with the outbursts of new and unique |
| The interest of tattooing for the general public | | | | tattoo artists, each with their own style. Some |
| spread throughout the world in fads. A sailor | | | | tattoo designers stick with what is known as Old |
| would bring over a fully tattooed indigenous | | | | School tattoos, which have the look of tattoos |
| person and interest would spread like wildfire. In | | | | done before the Second World War. They include |
| London, a sailor brought over a tattooed | | | | traditional designs like nautical stars, pin up girls and |
| Polynesian from the South Pacific, and many of | | | | mermaids, Old English letters, sparrows, skulls, |
| the people of London began to acquire their own | | | | hearts, roses, symbolic animal spirits (tigers, |
| small tattoos in secret places. However, interest in | | | | eagles, fish), and more. Old School tattoos keep |
| tattooing waxed and waned due to its long, | | | | the look simple with mostly black ink and a little |
| arduous process of applying every dot of ink by | | | | bit of color because in the older days of tattooing |
| hand. | | | | there was not a great variety of ink colors to |
| The electric tattoo machine is a relatively recent | | | | choose from. Old school tattoos are also notorious |
| invention, created in 1891 by Samuel O'Reily, and | | | | for featuring a ribbon with Old English letters |
| has revolutionized tattoos into an art form. | | | | writing a word or name inside the papyrus. The |
| Tattooing can still be long and painful but now the | | | | infamous Sailor Jerry Collins was the man who |
| many punctures in the skin are done automatically | | | | designed most tattoos that are now considered |
| at thousands of punctures per minute and can | | | | traditional or Old School. Today many women |
| allow for better detail and shading. Skin is the | | | | interested in 1950s retro fashion choose Old |
| most unique canvas and a tattoo that is placed | | | | School tattoos and place them on their arm like a |
| onto the skin is permanent, requiring extra | | | | sailor would back in the day. Many sailor tattoos |
| consideration for the right tattoo, the right artist, | | | | are symbolic. For example, the nautical star |
| and the right placement. That piece of art will | | | | means that a person has gone through an |
| follow throughout one's lifetime. | | | | important event or has been somewhere far and |
| In New York City, Samuel O'Reily trained a | | | | has returned safely. |
| partner named Charley Wagner, who continued | | | | New School tattoos include any new techniques |
| teaching after O'Reily's death. For a brief while, | | | | done after this war. After the 1961 hepatitis |
| Chatham Square flourished with tattoo artists | | | | outbreak which forced the tattoo movement |
| while the rest of the world remained unimpressed | | | | underground for a while, tattoo designs were |
| with tattooing. For a long time tattooing was | | | | picked up by younger generations. They used |
| generally stigmatized and most people with | | | | bold, bright colors and utilized more shading thanks |
| tattoos were stereotyped to be scary, | | | | to advancements in needle variety and better |
| dangerous, or freaks. During the 1920s tattoos | | | | quality ink. The health code regulations and better |
| began to be recognized for where a person has | | | | use of sterilization machines brought tattooing |
| been in their travels, as tattoo artists set up | | | | back in the forefront again. New school tattoos |
| shops in Coney Island. An outbreak of hepatitis, | | | | still have the same list of tattoo designs as old |
| blood poisoning and other disease even worsened | | | | school but are captured in a unique way that is |
| the prospects for tattooing in American culture. | | | | difficult to explain but easy to see the difference. |
| Finally, a tattoo artist named Lyle Tuttle changed | | | | Also many people today get new school designs |
| America's perception of tattooing by introducing | | | | that are custom made, compared to the old |
| celebrities to the art form. He tattooed them, | | | | school tattoos which were generally picked off a |
| mostly women, and used the media to change | | | | wall of flash. |
| their stereotypes about the types of people who | | | | Today there are dozens of interesting tattoo |
| got tattoos. Together with the heightened | | | | styles to choose from: Celtic, Japanese, religious, |
| awareness of the importance of sterilization and | | | | spiritual, tribal, bio-mechanical, feminine, military, |
| the improvement of training, tattoo popularity | | | | black and gray, traditional, neo-traditional, modern, |
| began to surge in the last few decades. | | | | and more. The best part about getting a tattoo is |
| Changing Views | | | | designing a custom piece. Then it is completely |
| Today, the tattooing industry booms with new | | | | unique and meaningful for the person. Today, |
| talented artists, schools and apprenticeship for | | | | tattooing is more than ink on skin; it is expression |
| budding tattooists, enlightened knowledge about | | | | of the soul. |
| sterilization, and health code regulation. Tattoo | | | | |