Tattoos

This month Charles departs from his usual family history and looks at the origins of body art in the form of tattoos.

Portrait Captain James Cook (1728-1779)

From my research, the history of inking your body makes for interesting reading. This will be a series of articles covering the story and art of tattoos, as part of the social history of British society. This first article gives an overview of the origin of tattoos. The word tattoo used in this context appears to come from the Tahitian tatau, and was introduced into the English language following Captain James Cook’s expeditions to the South Pacific, where they encountered ‘tattooed savages’.

But tattooing has been around since at least Neolithic times, with evidence of tattoo marks being found on the body of Otzi the Iceman, whose body was found in the Otz valley in the Alps during the 1990s and dates from between 3370 and 3310 BC.

Our ancestors, the Picts and Celts made body art famous. When the Romans invaded Britain, Julius Caesar wrote in his account of the Gallic Wars that “All the Britons dye their bodies with woad, which produces a blue colour, and this gives them a more terrifying appearance in battle”. Pre-Christian central and northern European tribes were often heavily tattooed with elaborate designs in dark blue woad or copper – these may have been painted markings rather than permanent inkings.

English seaman and Privateer Martin Frobisher brought back three Inuit captives from his voyages to North East Canada in 1577. Each of them had tattoos, but sadly, they all died within a month of arriving at London.

Pilgrims to the Holy Lands throughout the 17th century were tattooed to commemorate their voyages.

During the 19th century, the craze of tattooing was growing in British society, although it was largely associated with sailors, lower and criminal classes. During the 1870s it became fashionable among some members of the upper classes, especially those who undertook the Grand Tour of Europe. These tours would often last two to four years, and were taken to broaden their horizons and to learn more about languages, architecture, geography, and culture. The returning Grand Tourist would often come back sporting the latest European style of tattoo. I wonder if Richard Glynn Vivian, or his brother William Graham Vivian who undertook the Grand Tour, came back with one?

Also noted for having tattoos were some of the British monarchs including George V, who is reported to have had a blue and red dragon on his arm and Edward VII secretly, had a Cross of Jerusalem tattoo in 1862.

It was even rumoured that Queen Victoria had one!

If anyone has been to a tattoo parlour, they will see that the artist uses an electrically powered tattoo machine, which moves a solid needle that injects ink into the skin. I have only been once to a parlour – not to have a tattoo but to accompany a friend. The noise reminded me of a dentist’s drill! In 1894 Sutherland MacDonald opened the first tattoo parlour in Jermyn Street, London; it was a small room above a Turkish bathhouse. He also developed the first tattoo machine, prior to this date; the designs were carved into a wooden block and then printed onto the skin by dipping the block into ink. The artist would then use a single needle to puncture the skin by hand to apply the ink. A very slow process.

Copyright – The Bay Magazine – May 2018