Body Ink Throughout History In 51 Amazing Photos

Posted by Ellyn Dora on Saturday, May 18, 2024

Check out some astounding vintage tattoos in this collection of history's coolest photographs of people displaying their ink.

Charlie Wagner Vintage Tattoos Charlie Wagner in New York studio, 1940s.Bodies of Subversion/Powerhouse Books Jessie Knight Vintage Tattoos Work by Jessie Knight, Britain's first female tattoo artist, circa 1939.Public Domain Vintage Tattoos Japanese Men Japan, 1870.Felice Beato/Library of Congress Che Guevara Poster of woman wearing nun's habit revealing a tattoo of Che Guevara, 1965.Library of Congress Australian Tattoos Private Burchall and L/Corp. Griffith displaying their tattoos in 1944.Public Domain Steel Corporation Tattoo at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Baltimore, 1935Margaret Bourke-White/Public Domain Japanese Tattoo Man Japanese man, 1890.New York Public Library Stevens Wagner Mrs. M. Stevens Wagner, 1907.Library of Congress German Stowaway German stowaway at Ellis Island, 1911.Augustus F. Sherman/New York Public Library Butterfly 1955.Sherman Hulton/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Glove Tattoo A model in the 1970s.Roy Kemp/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Jessie Knight Butterfly Butterfly leg tattoo by Jessie Knight, circa 1939.Public Domain Betty Broadbent A Betty Broadbent, 1930s.Vintage Images/Getty Images Jrma Senta Irma Senta, 1920s.Public Domain Pirate Vintage Tattoo Flash Vintage pirate and veterans designs.Vintage Tattoo Flash Japanese Woman Back Tat Because kimonos were usually reserved for royalty and the elite, Japanese lower classes rebelled with large body tattoos, circa 1940s.Public Domain Roy Kemp August, 1973.Roy Kemp/Getty Images Sweet Sour Boob Tattoo Al Schiefley and Les Skuse give woman "sweet" and "sour" tattoos in 1940s England.Public Domain Social Secuity Tattoo Doris Sherrel getting her social security number tattooed by Jack Julian, 1942.Public Domain Jessie Knight Bird Bird tattoo by Jessie Knight. Virginia, circa 1939.Public Domain Beauty Spot Tattoo A woman gets a permanent beauty mark tattoo in Copenhagen, 1956. John Firth/Getty Images Amsterdam Tattoo Museum Janet “Rusty” Skuse, who held the Guinness World Record of Britain's most tattooed woman for more than 20 years.Amsterdam Tattoo Museum Edith Burchet London Edith Burchet. London, 1920.Public Domain Vintage Tattoo Flash Date unknown.Vintage Tattoo Flash Pam Nash Les Skuse at work on champion tattoo lady Pam Nash in 1960. John Pratt/Keystone Features/Getty Images Aritta Wallona Aritta, date unknown.Public Domain Vintage Tattoo Flash Mermaid Vintage mermaid tattoo design.Vintage Flash Tattoo Sexy Sailor Tattooed sailor in 1908.Huton Archive/Getty Images Last Supper Tat Emma de Burgh's Last Supper tattoo, 1897.Mary Evans Picture Library/Everett Collection Cally Dastra Cally d'Astra, 1860.Time Life Pictures/Mansell/Getty Images Naked Lady On Bird Tattoo of a naked woman riding a bird in 1928.Fox Photos/Getty Images Stella Grassman Tattoo artist Stella Grassman in the 1930s.Pinterest Face Back Tat Back tattoo of man's face, 1936.William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images Bettoes Grooms Japanese man in the 1870s.Felice Beato/New York Public Library Horse Jockey Horse and jockey tattoo, 1930s.Public Doman Tattooed Boy Sidonia Young man with tattoos, date unknown.New York Public Library Mary Evans Unidentified woman, 1897.Mary Evans Picture Library/Everett Collection Betty Broadbent Betty Broadbent, date unspecified.Public Domain Butterfly Garter Belt Butterfly garter belt tattoo, 1930s.Public Domain Midway Activities Tattooed lady on the midway during the World's Fair, circa 1939 - 1940.New York Public Library Vintage Tattoo Drawings Bob Wicks' flash sheet number 36, circa 1930.New York Historical Society Tattoo India Japan Nypl India, 1880s.New York Public Library Tattooed Lady Nypl Tattooed lady with sailor during the World's Fair, 1939-1940.New York Public Library Snake Snake tattoo, 1928.Public Domain Eagle Shield Tattoo Design Eagle and shield, circa 1875–1905, by Samuel O'Reilly.New York Historical Society Pilgrim Tattoo Tattooist and goldsmith "Nerses the Goldsmith" tattooing a pilgrim, probably an Armenian woman, at his store underneath the Armenian Patriarchate, in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem. Circa 1900-1911.Library of Congress Tlingit Woman Alaskan indigenous Tlingit woman named Kaw-Claa wearing her potlatch dancing costume, Alaska, 1906. Frank H. Nowell/Alaska Digital Collection/Wikimedia Commons Mrs Rabone Māori woman, Mrs. Rabone, in 1870. Māori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.Wikimedia Commons Thom De Vita Studio Thom de Vita and client in his studio at 326 E. 4th Street in New York, 1976.John Wyatt/New York Historical Society Rock Of Ages Tattoo Ed Smith's self-portrait showing Rock of Ages back piece, circa 1920.New York Historical Society Nora Hildebrandt Nora Hildebrandt, circa 1880.Charles Eisenmann/New York Historical Society

We know for a fact that humans have been tattooing themselves for at least 5,200 years (the discovery of Iceman Otzi and his 61 tattoos from 3250 BC proved as much).

Since then, body art has been used to denote faith, class, fashion, patriotism, and everything in between. The styles have changed with the decades -- as have the procedural methods, thank God -- but the most important thing about getting inked has remained constant: It looks really cool.

Above, you'll find 51 photos of vintage tattoos that help represent the world's most personal art form.

Intrigued by this look at vintage tattoos? Next, can you read these tattoo history facts without wanting to get inked? Then, check out these quirky traits about your favorite artists.

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