And since, its my fav. subject, of course im going to start with it, duh.
Lets start simple...
TRIBAL TATTOOS:
There were 3 major factors that transformed the realm of art int0 spiritual factors: Pain, Permanence, and loss of life force..Blood. Body and soul were generally though to be identical to one another, so then when you had a tattoo it existed in two planes: the spiritual and physical realms.Most, if not all, primitave tribes bore some type of body art, be it tattoos, scarification, or plain body paint.
EARLY RELIGOUS TATTOOS
In the old testament of the bible, the book of Leviticus states: "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord." So, early Moslem and Christians tried putting a stop to all tattooing. Which only lasted for a temporary time because of the religous competition. It was a trademark of early Palestines, which is how cme to the rise of tattooing. Although the art of tattooing was crippled by Arabs and Christians for 2 millenia because its ban was supported by Rome and the power of Islam, because the old testament is revered by both. It was never completly stopped but was very scarce, eventually though it leaked its way back in by means of the holy pilgrims. In middle ages, people would travel from their European villages to the Holy land and the only way to prove being there was by getting a tattoo from the Coptic priests.
In the old testament of the bible, the book of Leviticus states: "Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord." So, early Moslem and Christians tried putting a stop to all tattooing. Which only lasted for a temporary time because of the religous competition. It was a trademark of early Palestines, which is how cme to the rise of tattooing. Although the art of tattooing was crippled by Arabs and Christians for 2 millenia because its ban was supported by Rome and the power of Islam, because the old testament is revered by both. It was never completly stopped but was very scarce, eventually though it leaked its way back in by means of the holy pilgrims. In middle ages, people would travel from their European villages to the Holy land and the only way to prove being there was by getting a tattoo from the Coptic priests.
EARLY NORTH AMERICAN TATTOOS
-HAIDA TATTOOS (british columbia & WA state)
The haida were the most accomplished of all native N.American craftsmen and artists. Their dwellings, totem poles, and canoes were all embellished with traditional signs that related to mythical and totematic themes.
-ARCTIC/ALASKAN TATTOOS
The inhabitants of St.lawerance island in the Bering Sea have a tattoo history dating back 3500 years. It was an imporatnt feactor to their life setting, it was used to help them cope with their harsh life factors and to appease their gods. it was also important to the hunter-gatherer economy in the arctic. Tattooing was most common in women an
d was practiced among all eskimos.
-NORTH AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONS TATTOOS
Most 19th century scholars took no intrest in tattooing, so very little is recorded. Native American tattooing was often associated withreligous and magical practices. Also at puberty ceremonies it was used as a right of passage. Many tribes praacticed theraputic tattooing. They tattooed places of pain that were believed to be caused ny malevolent spirits to ward them away along with dance ceremonies. Tattoos were also used to honour warriors who had distinguished themselves by bravery in combat. Other Europeans reported the use of tattooing to record achievements in war. In the Jesuit Relations of 1663, it was reported that an Iroquois chief known to the French as “Nero” bore on this thighs 60 tattooed characters, each of which symbolized an enemy killed with his own hand.
-HAIDA TATTOOS (british columbia & WA state)
The haida were the most accomplished of all native N.American craftsmen and artists. Their dwellings, totem poles, and canoes were all embellished with traditional signs that related to mythical and totematic themes.
-ARCTIC/ALASKAN TATTOOS
The inhabitants of St.lawerance island in the Bering Sea have a tattoo history dating back 3500 years. It was an imporatnt feactor to their life setting, it was used to help them cope with their harsh life factors and to appease their gods. it was also important to the hunter-gatherer economy in the arctic. Tattooing was most common in women an
d was practiced among all eskimos.-NORTH AMERICA'S FIRST NATIONS TATTOOS
Most 19th century scholars took no intrest in tattooing, so very little is recorded. Native American tattooing was often associated withreligous and magical practices. Also at puberty ceremonies it was used as a right of passage. Many tribes praacticed theraputic tattooing. They tattooed places of pain that were believed to be caused ny malevolent spirits to ward them away along with dance ceremonies. Tattoos were also used to honour warriors who had distinguished themselves by bravery in combat. Other Europeans reported the use of tattooing to record achievements in war. In the Jesuit Relations of 1663, it was reported that an Iroquois chief known to the French as “Nero” bore on this thighs 60 tattooed characters, each of which symbolized an enemy killed with his own hand.
TATTOOS IN VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA
One of the best examples of North American tattooing was recorded in an oil painting of Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow, paint in 1710 by British artist John Verelst. Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow was one of four Mohawk chiefs who visited London in 1710, as part of a delegation that visited Queen Anne.
One of the best examples of North American tattooing was recorded in an oil painting of Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow, paint in 1710 by British artist John Verelst. Sa Ga Yeath Qua Pieth Tow was one of four Mohawk chiefs who visited London in 1710, as part of a delegation that visited Queen Anne.CONTEMPORARY TATTOOS
-ENGLAND
During the 19th century, tattooing flourished in England like no where else in Europe. This was of course due to the tradition of tattooing in the British Navy, which began with the first voyage of Captain Cook in 1769. Sailors learned the art from their exotic travels and by the middle of the 18th century there was at least 1 artist at every british port. Tattoos gained royal sanction in 1862 when the Prince of Whales visited the holy land and had a jeruslaum cross tattooed on his arm. King Edward VII aquired quite a numberr of traditional tattoos in his later life. When his 2 sons visited Japan in 1882 he instucted their tutor to bring them to a tattoo master and design tattoos on their arms. The 2 also got tattooed in Jeruselum on their way home by the same artist who gave their father his tattoo 20 years previous. During 19th century tattooing was approved of and even encouraged in the British army.
During the 19th century, tattooing flourished in England like no where else in Europe. This was of course due to the tradition of tattooing in the British Navy, which began with the first voyage of Captain Cook in 1769. Sailors learned the art from their exotic travels and by the middle of the 18th century there was at least 1 artist at every british port. Tattoos gained royal sanction in 1862 when the Prince of Whales visited the holy land and had a jeruslaum cross tattooed on his arm. King Edward VII aquired quite a numberr of traditional tattoos in his later life. When his 2 sons visited Japan in 1882 he instucted their tutor to bring them to a tattoo master and design tattoos on their arms. The 2 also got tattooed in Jeruselum on their way home by the same artist who gave their father his tattoo 20 years previous. During 19th century tattooing was approved of and even encouraged in the British army.
-FRANCE & ITALY
In France tattooing was popular amoung seamen, laborours, and convicts in the first part of the 19th century. Upper and midde class members thought it below their dignity and it was definatly not popular amoung the wealthy as it was in England. The Catholic church, of course, opposed tattooing as they viewed as a sign of paganism and superstition. The medical profession opposed it because of the problems it would solve. In 1837, aleading docto wrote of young lady who died as reslut to a tattoo related infection. In 1853, a physician reported the first case of syphilis being transmitted by tattooing. Knowledge of infections were not known and artists often used the same needle on many different people without cleaning it. They mixed ink in clamshells and diluted it with saliva. It was normal to clean off a fresh tattoo with saliva, tobacco juice or urine. Many men wore their profession on their biceps.
Stone Carvers - Compasses, a right angle, a chisel and a plumb lineCarpenters - Display a plane and pliers Butchers - Have a bull's head on crossed knives Bakers - Scales, kneading trough and a loaf Barbers - Comb and crossed scissors Cobblers - An awl and a boot Blacksmiths - An anvil and hammer Sailors - An anchor Vine-Growers - A bunch of grapes Gunsmiths - A pistol .The most popular erotic designs were the female bust and the nude female. The most unusual were a uniform a general that covered the whole body.words tattooed below the navel: “Come ladies, to the fountain of love;” “Pleasure for girls”; “She thinks of me” on the buttocks.
-GERMANY
Germany has a long history of body decoration.Frederich Barbarossa - Red Beard, Roman King and emperor of Germany from 1152 to 1190, had cross designs on the back of his hands. Dominican priest and German mystic Heinrich Suso (1295-1366) tattooed the name of Christ over his heart. Kaiser Wilhelm, who was emperor in 1908, was rumored to have an eagle tattooed on his chest. German ports on the North and Baltic Seas added a naval component to German tattoo history. There have been many German attractions in sideshows on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the first professional tattooists in the United States was a German immigrant named Martin Hildebrandt. His daughter, Nora was the first female tattoo attraction in the United States in the 1860’s.During the Holocaust, concentration camp prisoners received tattoos at the Auschwitz concentration camp complex. The camp authorities assigned more than 400,000 prisoner serial numbers (not counting approximately 3,000 numbers given to police prisoners interned at Auschwitz due to overcrowding in jails who were not included in the daily count of prisoners).Some tattoo marks were used by societies as signals of recognition. In Bavaria and the south of Germany the highway robbers, who are united into a real association, recognize each other the epigraphic tattoo marks T. and L. meaning “Thal und Land” (valley and country).
TATTOOS IN THAILAND
-In no other country in the world except Thailand does the tattoo tradition have an annual religious celebration. Once a year, thousands of tattoo enthusiasts from around the world descend on the temple known as Wat Bang Phra, located 50 km outside Bangkok, where dozens of heavily tattooed Buddhist monks are masters of the tattoo art. This Wat is also known as the Temple of the Flying Tiger. Unlike most tattoos in the West, the Thai version comes steeped in spiritual, or some might say superstitious, meaning. Protection, good luck, blessings from on high -- these are what the tattoo devotees are seeking. Many arrive already heavily tattooed and are there to simply get their designs 'recharged', by having the Buddhist monks re-bless their body art. During the festivities it is not uncommon for the tattoo devotees, through their chanting, to reach an extremely heightened state of consciousness, appearing to enter into a trance. Everyone arrives with gifts of incense and flowers for the tattooist’s venerable teacher.
-TATTOOING IN THE U.S.
The most popular designs in traditional American tattooing evolved from the artists who traded, copied, swiped and improved on each other’s work. The developed a series of stereotyped symbols that were put on soldiers and sailors of both World Wars. Many designs represented courage, patriotism, defiance of death, and longing for family and loved ones left behind.Samuel O'Reilly opened a tattoo studio at 11 Chatham Square, in the Chinatown area of the Bowery in 1875. At this time, tattooing was done by hand. The tattooing instrument used by Hildebrandt, O’Reilly and contemporaries was a set of needles attached to a wooden handle. The tattoo artist dipped the needles in ink and moved his hand up and down rhythmically, puncturing the skin two or three times per second. The technique required great manual dexterity and could be perfected only after years of practice. Tattooing by hand was a slow process, even for the most accomplished tattooists.In addition to being a competent artist, O’Reilly was a mechanic and technician. Early in his career he began working on a machine to speed up the tattooing process. He reasoned that if the needles could be moved up and down automatically in a hand-held machine, the artist could tattoo as fast as he could draw. In 1891 O’Reilly patented his invention and offered if for sale along with colors, designs and other supplies. Charles Wagner, who was O'reilly's apprentice, was the first American tattoo artist who successfully practiced the cosmetic tattooing of women’s lips, cheeks and eyebrows. He also tattooed dogs and horses so they can be identified in case of theft. He was also known to be able to combine and organize several small designs to make a larger harmonious pattern.Wagner continued to tattoo until the day of his death on January 1, 1953. He was 78 years old and had worked as a professional tattoo artist for over sixty years.
-TATTOOS & THE CIRCUS
The popularity of tattooing during the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century owed much to the circus. When circuses prospered, tattooing prospered. When circuses went bankrupt, tattooed people and artists were out of work.For over 70 years every major circus employed several completely tattooed people. Some were exhibited in sideshows, other performed in traditional circus acts such as juggling and sword swallowing. Rival circuses competed with each other for the services of the most elaborately tattooed show people and paid them handsome salaries. Many of the old-time tattoo artists made most of their money while traveling with circuses during the spring and summer, returning to their shops and homes in the winter. The circus served as a showcase where tattoo artists could attract customers by exhibiting their work to a paying public, and in many cases the only surviving records are in the form of photos and posters which were used for circus publicity.The connection between tattooing and the circus began in 1804 when Jean Baptiste Cabri who had been tattooed by the Marquesas became a carnival performer. In the last years of his life he was forced to compete with trained dogs and other popular amusements in country fairs. By 1822 he died, poor and forgotten.Prince ConstantineConstantine, a Greek who had spent many years in Burma, had himself tattooed with the intention of going into show business. He was the most elaborately and artistically tattooed performer of his time. He said that four strong men had to hold him down while he was tattooed every morning for three hours. It took three months for the work to be completed.
The Great Omi or the Zebra ManThe most famous tattooed man of this period was Horace Ridler. In 1927, he asked London’s leading tattoo artist, George Burchett, to tattoo him all over, including his face with inch-wide zebra stripes. 
To become a freak in order to earn a livelihood was a gamble which might not have come off. Ridler also had his teeth filed down to sharp points. He had his nose pierced so he could insert an ivory tusk and his ear lobes were pierced and stretched. He called himself the Great Omi and was one of the most successful freaks in the history of the circus. He succeeded because he was unique but during the latter part of his career there were fewer and fewer tattooed people seen in circuses. The popularity of the freak show was waning and tattooed people were no longer novelties. After WWII, freak shows came under attack and only a few of the larger circuses still included them.
for additional information on tattoo history go to http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_museum/history.html
In France tattooing was popular amoung seamen, laborours, and convicts in the first part of the 19th century. Upper and midde class members thought it below their dignity and it was definatly not popular amoung the wealthy as it was in England. The Catholic church, of course, opposed tattooing as they viewed as a sign of paganism and superstition. The medical profession opposed it because of the problems it would solve. In 1837, aleading docto wrote of young lady who died as reslut to a tattoo related infection. In 1853, a physician reported the first case of syphilis being transmitted by tattooing. Knowledge of infections were not known and artists often used the same needle on many different people without cleaning it. They mixed ink in clamshells and diluted it with saliva. It was normal to clean off a fresh tattoo with saliva, tobacco juice or urine. Many men wore their profession on their biceps.
Stone Carvers - Compasses, a right angle, a chisel and a plumb lineCarpenters - Display a plane and pliers Butchers - Have a bull's head on crossed knives Bakers - Scales, kneading trough and a loaf Barbers - Comb and crossed scissors Cobblers - An awl and a boot Blacksmiths - An anvil and hammer Sailors - An anchor Vine-Growers - A bunch of grapes Gunsmiths - A pistol .The most popular erotic designs were the female bust and the nude female. The most unusual were a uniform a general that covered the whole body.words tattooed below the navel: “Come ladies, to the fountain of love;” “Pleasure for girls”; “She thinks of me” on the buttocks.
-GERMANY
Germany has a long history of body decoration.Frederich Barbarossa - Red Beard, Roman King and emperor of Germany from 1152 to 1190, had cross designs on the back of his hands. Dominican priest and German mystic Heinrich Suso (1295-1366) tattooed the name of Christ over his heart. Kaiser Wilhelm, who was emperor in 1908, was rumored to have an eagle tattooed on his chest. German ports on the North and Baltic Seas added a naval component to German tattoo history. There have been many German attractions in sideshows on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the first professional tattooists in the United States was a German immigrant named Martin Hildebrandt. His daughter, Nora was the first female tattoo attraction in the United States in the 1860’s.During the Holocaust, concentration camp prisoners received tattoos at the Auschwitz concentration camp complex. The camp authorities assigned more than 400,000 prisoner serial numbers (not counting approximately 3,000 numbers given to police prisoners interned at Auschwitz due to overcrowding in jails who were not included in the daily count of prisoners).Some tattoo marks were used by societies as signals of recognition. In Bavaria and the south of Germany the highway robbers, who are united into a real association, recognize each other the epigraphic tattoo marks T. and L. meaning “Thal und Land” (valley and country).
TATTOOS IN THAILAND
-In no other country in the world except Thailand does the tattoo tradition have an annual religious celebration. Once a year, thousands of tattoo enthusiasts from around the world descend on the temple known as Wat Bang Phra, located 50 km outside Bangkok, where dozens of heavily tattooed Buddhist monks are masters of the tattoo art. This Wat is also known as the Temple of the Flying Tiger. Unlike most tattoos in the West, the Thai version comes steeped in spiritual, or some might say superstitious, meaning. Protection, good luck, blessings from on high -- these are what the tattoo devotees are seeking. Many arrive already heavily tattooed and are there to simply get their designs 'recharged', by having the Buddhist monks re-bless their body art. During the festivities it is not uncommon for the tattoo devotees, through their chanting, to reach an extremely heightened state of consciousness, appearing to enter into a trance. Everyone arrives with gifts of incense and flowers for the tattooist’s venerable teacher.
-TATTOOING IN THE U.S.
The most popular designs in traditional American tattooing evolved from the artists who traded, copied, swiped and improved on each other’s work. The developed a series of stereotyped symbols that were put on soldiers and sailors of both World Wars. Many designs represented courage, patriotism, defiance of death, and longing for family and loved ones left behind.Samuel O'Reilly opened a tattoo studio at 11 Chatham Square, in the Chinatown area of the Bowery in 1875. At this time, tattooing was done by hand. The tattooing instrument used by Hildebrandt, O’Reilly and contemporaries was a set of needles attached to a wooden handle. The tattoo artist dipped the needles in ink and moved his hand up and down rhythmically, puncturing the skin two or three times per second. The technique required great manual dexterity and could be perfected only after years of practice. Tattooing by hand was a slow process, even for the most accomplished tattooists.In addition to being a competent artist, O’Reilly was a mechanic and technician. Early in his career he began working on a machine to speed up the tattooing process. He reasoned that if the needles could be moved up and down automatically in a hand-held machine, the artist could tattoo as fast as he could draw. In 1891 O’Reilly patented his invention and offered if for sale along with colors, designs and other supplies. Charles Wagner, who was O'reilly's apprentice, was the first American tattoo artist who successfully practiced the cosmetic tattooing of women’s lips, cheeks and eyebrows. He also tattooed dogs and horses so they can be identified in case of theft. He was also known to be able to combine and organize several small designs to make a larger harmonious pattern.Wagner continued to tattoo until the day of his death on January 1, 1953. He was 78 years old and had worked as a professional tattoo artist for over sixty years.
-TATTOOS & THE CIRCUS
The popularity of tattooing during the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century owed much to the circus. When circuses prospered, tattooing prospered. When circuses went bankrupt, tattooed people and artists were out of work.For over 70 years every major circus employed several completely tattooed people. Some were exhibited in sideshows, other performed in traditional circus acts such as juggling and sword swallowing. Rival circuses competed with each other for the services of the most elaborately tattooed show people and paid them handsome salaries. Many of the old-time tattoo artists made most of their money while traveling with circuses during the spring and summer, returning to their shops and homes in the winter. The circus served as a showcase where tattoo artists could attract customers by exhibiting their work to a paying public, and in many cases the only surviving records are in the form of photos and posters which were used for circus publicity.The connection between tattooing and the circus began in 1804 when Jean Baptiste Cabri who had been tattooed by the Marquesas became a carnival performer. In the last years of his life he was forced to compete with trained dogs and other popular amusements in country fairs. By 1822 he died, poor and forgotten.Prince ConstantineConstantine, a Greek who had spent many years in Burma, had himself tattooed with the intention of going into show business. He was the most elaborately and artistically tattooed performer of his time. He said that four strong men had to hold him down while he was tattooed every morning for three hours. It took three months for the work to be completed.
The Great Omi or the Zebra ManThe most famous tattooed man of this period was Horace Ridler. In 1927, he asked London’s leading tattoo artist, George Burchett, to tattoo him all over, including his face with inch-wide zebra stripes. 
To become a freak in order to earn a livelihood was a gamble which might not have come off. Ridler also had his teeth filed down to sharp points. He had his nose pierced so he could insert an ivory tusk and his ear lobes were pierced and stretched. He called himself the Great Omi and was one of the most successful freaks in the history of the circus. He succeeded because he was unique but during the latter part of his career there were fewer and fewer tattooed people seen in circuses. The popularity of the freak show was waning and tattooed people were no longer novelties. After WWII, freak shows came under attack and only a few of the larger circuses still included them.for additional information on tattoo history go to http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/tattoo_museum/history.html
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