The History of Tattoos Today

A brief glance back in time today, reveals the history of tattoos as being a period full of surprises.  Throughout history, tattoos have been viewed as intriguing designs characteristic of criticism.  And while a great number of people have changed with the times, and so to their attitude of tattoos, surprisingly many people today still hold on to history, and past views of tattoos.

A generation or two ago, having tattoos pretty much landed anyone in the company of soldiers, sailors, bikers and carnival workers.  However, this is not the case when it comes to tattoos today.  Tattoo intrigue not only continues to lure new admirers in, tattoo trends seem to surprise many of us too.

Looking at the history of tattoos in the early 1900’s, tattoos were the foundation caricature of carnival freak sideshows, with crowds of people making their way to the circus’s big top to view the unconventionally over the top tattooed.

During the 50’s and 60’s the history of tattoos repeated itself, becoming common among enlisted men serving in the Navy and Marines.  And it seems the tough, rugged, strong willed fighting character of sailors and soldiers led to the criminal appeal of tattoos.

Tattoos became the sign of the times, marking renegade outlaws, bikers, social outcasts, and the mentally criminal. The sub standard and deviant persona of tattoos remained throughout the 60’s leading into the early 1980’s.

Then the wave of the 80s hit, and tattooing started appealing as a cultural, artistic and social form of body art.

The mid 90’s introduced a media explosion that connected the worldwide. The Internet became a catalyst for the media, and with it celebrity tattoos emerged on the scene among popular rock stars, music rappers, and famous actors and actresses.  Tattoo history records a widespread tattoo epidemic among middle class Americans that remains ongoing at a steady increase today.

Life magazine estimated in 1936 that 10 million Americans of the population had at least one tattoo. In April 2000, The National Geographic News stated approximately 40 million Americans were tattooed.

Tattoos have a history of intriguing and surprising us.  And today, as history continues to unfold, so to will intriguing tattoo trends that only time will reveal the surprises in store during the next 100 years of tattoo history.

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