2. www.body-shock.com
Earliest Forms…
6000 BC
Chinchorro Mummies from
South America found with
thin pencil moustache
tattoos, thought to make
them more attractive to
women.
3300 BC
Ötzi the Iceman
discovered, preserved in a
glacier. He featured 61
tattoos, thought to be
used as a form of
acupuncture to relieve
arthritis pain.
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Let’s Skip Ahead…
1769 AD
Captain Cook travels to
Tahiti, and discovers the
local practice of
‘tattaw’, birthing the
word ‘tattoo’. He returns
to England with a tattoed
Polynesian man named
‘Omai’.
“I shall now mention the
way they mark themselves
indelibly, each of them is
so marked by their humour
or disposition.”
-Journal of Joseph Banks
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Popularisation…
1800s
Tattooing began to catch
on, largely with sailors
who would seek out artists
at British ports.
The crucifix design was
particularly popular on the
upper back to discourage
flogging by pious
superiors.
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Advancement…
Late 1800s
Samuel O’Reilly arrived in
NYC in 1875 and set up his
own tattoo parlour. In 1891,
he designed the very first
tattoo machine, based on the
technology of Thomas Edison’s
autographic printing pen.
Although he patented the
design, there is no evidence
to suggest he ever sold the
machine or designs.
He became a particularly
popular artist for circus
performers.
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Moving on…
1900s
Tattoos were seen mainly on
sailors and circus performers
at the turn of the century.
In 1936, Life Magazine said
that only 6% of people were
tattooed.
The 1950s saw the rise of the
popularity of tattoos, though
it was still seen as
something reserved for bikers
and criminals.
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The 20th Century Continues…
1961
Due to a lack of regulation
and standards, infections
were common, and an outbreak
of Hepatitis B led to the
outlawing of tattoo parlours
in NYC.
This didn’t slow down the
art, as people continued to
get tattoos.
The practice was still
frowned upon, and thought to
be a problem of the counter-
culture groups of society.
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Changing Views…
1997
New York City lifted their
ban on tattoo parlours,
allowing artists to practice
freely within regulations.
2006
Oklahoma became the last
American state to legalise
tattoo parlours. Tattoos
were no longer just for
outlaws.
9. www.body-shock.com
Present Day…
21st Century
Attitudes continue to
change as tattoos have
become a form of art and
expression.
With many celebrities and
public figures showing off
their ink, more and more
people are being tattooed.
It is thought that over a
fifth of British people
have tattoos - a number
that continues to rise.