Tattoo History

The Truth About Your Favorite Tattoos.

It’s often claimed that it originated in the 18th century when sailors serving on Captain James Cook’s Pacific expeditions saw the tattoos of the native Polynesians and decided to get some for themselves.

The history of tattooing is incredibly complex, and every part of the world has its own techniques and stories attached to the art.

Once a mark of freakish deviance, the tattoo is now commercialized, ironic, often tacky or maudlin and rarely edgy, all of which bodes ill for the future of ink.

For thousands of years, people have practiced the art of tattooing to represent their cultures, to convey messages, and to adorn their bodies.

Tattoo is among humanity's earliest and most ubiquitous art forms. Cultures from every habitable continent have embedded permanent dyes in their bodies for more than 5000 years—as mystical wards, status symbols, rites of passage, or simply as personal decoration. That tradition continues today, just with a much smaller chance of infection.

The original Polynesian word ‘tatau’, or ‘tatu’, is likely to be an onomatopoeia derived from the sound of the tools required to mark the skin, or more specifically, the dermis.

How tattoos have evolved through time.

History tells us that the concept of self-branding was embraced fully in England in the 1860s after the Prince of Wales marked himself with a cross, partaking in a Medieval ritual.

The earliest record of tattoos, to date, was found in 1991 on the frozen remains of the Copper Age "Iceman" scientists have named Ötzi.

It is believed that prehistoric man cut holes in his skin, charred sticks in the fire, let them cool and then applied the black substance to the wound to create tribal markings.

Today, tattoos are a fixture in pop culture, with everyone from Rihanna to Angelina Jolie sporting visible ink.

Humans have marked their bodies with tattoos for thousands of years. These permanent designs—sometimes plain, sometimes elaborate, always personal—have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment.