Tattoos in the 19th Century

Geerte’s 19^th century blog only seemed to improve as I continued to read. The next post that caught my attention was a lengthy post about tattoos in the 19^th century. That’s right, tattoos. Most people, myself included, think tattoos are a new or a 20^th century fad for the West. However, it is untrue. Geerte completed hours of research and found Western Monarchs had tattoos as early as 1862. King Edward VII received his first tattoo while visiting Jerusalem. Monarchs were not the only ones sporting tattoos, navy and other military specialists also were drawn to the idea. The British Navy was especially drawn to the beautiful ink filled designs. Many American Civil War soldiers, on both sides, had tattoos. The first official tattoo shop in New York City was established during the Civil War. Tattoos are not a 20th or 21^st century fad, nor are they taboo. Instead they can be seen as traditional. The act of tattooing has been around longer than electricity. That is pretty impressive.