They now had tattoo “artists” who were unskilled at drawing. This presented an opportunity for less-skilled tattoo artists to get into the business, but this of course created a new problem. Demand for tattoos had become so great that artists had a hard time meeting the demand. The Spanish-American War was on and some estimates say that at the time over 80% of enlisted men were tattooed. These themes built the basis for tattoo culture in America and formed the cornerstone of American traditional tattoos.Īfter the invention of the tattoo machine, tattoo culture in America expanded rapidly. Reproductions of famous fine artworks depicting religious scenes also existed but were far less common - often seen only on circus performers whose tattoos were their trade. Religious tattoos of crosses, praying hands, rosaries, and other religious iconography were also common. The soldiers tattooed in the Civil War often had patriotic or military images tattooed on them, as well as graphic representations of their love for the women they left behind. Tattoo art in America before the invention of the electric tattoo machine was largely based on military service, religion, and love. When the invention of the electric tattooing machine by Samuel O’Reilly occurred in 1891, tattooing in America really took off. In 1870 Martin Hildebrandt, a German-American tattoo artist who’d made his living tattooing members of both the Confederate and Union armies during the civil war opened the first known tattoo parlor in New York City, NY. It was during the civil war that American traditional tattoos really began to stand out as their own distinct style. They were characterized by very simple, somewhat crude designs and revolved largely around their lives as sailors, but would occasionally include elements of their personal lives. The style of tattooing used by these sailors is referred to as British Naval or British Traditional style. The practice went on for some time before undergoing any great change. As the sailors had learned from tattoo artists in primitive cultures, they would later teach their own apprentices. For those who are interested, check out Cook’s story here.Įssentially, sailors sought to tattoo themselves with images that had meaning to them, as opposed to the traditional designs of the natives from who they had learned the practice. There’s a lot more to that story, but it’s not the purpose of this post. The sailors that were with Cook were fascinated by this art form and brought it back with him to Europe. All of these cultures were prominently tattooed. Westerners can trace their first contact with the art of tattooing all the way back to Captain Cook’s expedition of the South Pacific.Ĭook encountered the tattooed cultures of Samoa, Polynesia, and the Maoris of New Zealand. An example of traditional tattoo flash art, one of the primary ways the style was proliferated in the late 19th through most of the 20th century.
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