Show Us Your Tattoos

[Spiffy]

And a bit of my own collection (Photo courtesy of Atomic Cheesecake Studios):

Oh my god! Those peacock feathers are absolutely beautiful!

 

[Amy Jeanne]

My Newest

From this:

 

[mike]

Cynthia & Matt - JAWDROPPINGLY BEAUTIFUL WORK!! I may keep that in mind when I'm traveling again!

 

[ClaraB]

Amy that is wonderful! Any significance to the 1932?

 

[RIOT]

Cynthia & Matt – Amazing Work! :eusa_clap

Same as Mike, I will definitely keep you both in mind for ink when traveling.

 

[Inky]

Wow, you guys are amazing artists! It's wonderful to see how the art has developed over the last 29 years since I got my first tattoo in San Pedro (!).

I am glad I already have an appointment for the 22nd, or I'd be itching for more ink far worse than I already am!

beautiful work, everyone, artists and collectors alike!

 

[H.Johnson]

Tatoos on women in the 1930s and 40s?

I was at a vintage fair recently, and a stall was staffed by a very attractive young lady who had the hairstyle, clothes and accessories 'just right' for a late 1930s-early WW2 impression. I complemented her, but couldn't help observing that her tattoos (visible on her arms and neck) were hardly 'period'. She disagreed strongly, claiming that I was wrong and that many women sported extensive tatoos at the time.

Now, I don't claim to know everything about the period, but I was born in WW2, I examine photographs and watch films (including documentaries) from this period and I can't recall seeing any women with large tattoos on their visible parts outside of a fairground 'tattood lady'. Have I missed something? Can anyone show a genuine 1930s-40s photograph of an ordinary lady with extensive tatoos?

 

[MudInYerEye]

You are right and she is wrong. Next year you can enjoy the pleasure of returning to the fair and correcting the impudent pup.

 

[Viola]

Differences between then and now: now civilian women can have tattoos but active-duty sailors need to fill out sheets of forms, and to enlist with existent tattoos requires waivers. [huh]

 

[Incorporeal13]

These are mine, so far. Right now I only have script, but I have so many tattoos planned out to get I don't know where to start getting more.
These are my wrists, they say Regret Nothing:

And my chest, that says The Curse Of Curves:

Next tattoo will most definitely be something other than script. [huh]

 

[H.Johnson]

Oh, I love this! Do you mind if I add it to the list of 'Reversals Over Time' (ROT) that I bore people with at dinner parties?

Differences between then and now: now civilian women can have tattoos but active-duty sailors need to fill out sheets of forms, and to enlist with existent tattoos requires waivers. [huh]

 

[H.Johnson]

OK, but do you mind if I ask to inspect the rest of her tatoos instead?

You are right and she is wrong. Next year you can enjoy the pleasure of returning to the fair and correcting the impudent pup.

 

[MudInYerEye]

You are a filthy old man!


But no, I wouldn't mind.

 

[Matt Crunk]

You are right and she is wrong. Next year you can enjoy the pleasure of returning to the fair and correcting the impudent pup.

I have to disagree here. While tattooing was obviously not as popular with women back in the pre-WWII days, heavily tattooed women, while rare, did exist outside the realm of side-shows. They just kept them covered from public view more often than not.

So in a sense, you're both correct.

 

[Matt Crunk]

Betty Broadbend was a very popular tattooed lady pre-WWII, that worked as a circus and side-show performer.

Cindy Ray, however, was a tattoo artist, not a performer.

I have dozens of vintage photos in my private collection of unknown ladies with tattoo work from the 40's, 50's and 60's..

 

[Darhling]

I have finally found out how to re-work the tattoo on the small of my back - I am going to add cherry blossoms and perhaps some more, smaller butterflies diagonal across/behind the current one. Now I just can't wait to find and artist and get it done! .. Thanks a lot R. you are the biggest and baddest influence I know!

 

[mike]

If anyone's interested, this week I've got one of my two tattoo artists at my house in Queens tattooing all black and gray portrait work for very affordable prices!

 

[Viola]

Oh, I love this! Do you mind if I add it to the list of 'Reversals Over Time' (ROT) that I bore people with at dinner parties?

Go with it, I gift my useless information to society!

 

[cynroux]

You beat me to it, Mr. Crunk.
Hooray for the lovely pioneering tattooed ladies of yesteryear!

Betty Broadbend was a very popular tattooed lady pre-WWII, that worked as a circus and side-show performer.

Cindy Ray, however, was a tattoo artist, not a performer.

I have dozens of vintage photos in my private collection of unknown ladies with tattoo work from the 40's, 50's and 60's..

 

[mike]

You beat me to it, Mr. Crunk.
Hooray for the lovely pioneering tattooed ladies of yesteryear!

do you think these are more examples of the exceptions rather than the norm though...?