History of Tattooing

        Tattooing is an ancient art that has continued its legacy and is still seen and practiced into society today. Up until modern times, tattoos were usually seen as had by those deemed on the bottom level of society, “In the past it was chiefly sailors who had themselves tattooed to ensure that, in the event of shipwreck, their bodies could be identified and given a Christian burial. Prostitutes sometimes use tattoos to indicate their profession. Prisoners use thematic tattoos to express their protest at the society which puts them behind bars. As members of an elite male association, SS men identified themselves by having their blood group tattooed on the inside of the upper arm. In a corresponding measure concentration camp inmates, victims of the Nazis, had a number forcibly tattooed on their arm” (Fedorenko et al., 1999). Since then, tattooing has risen in popularity in society and has created its own culture and hierarchy. What was once seen as “a mark of the beast” so to speak has now become somewhat of an honor. As of 2023, tattooing has become an art form that has built its own subculture and has successfully changed, although it still has some work to do, the view of tattoos on mainstream society. ​Follow along as I list the different types of tattooing from around the world!

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