American Tattoo History dates back to the early 1800s. Things were a bit different back then. Circuses and different side shows played a huge role in making tattoos common. Back in those days, tattoos were considered vulgar and derogatory and in most cases, tattoos were associated with criminals and savagery. It was considered a violation of nature and was more than frowned upon. Of course, through various courses in history, today our perspective on tattoos and inking our body has changed considerably for better or for worse. That is up to you to decide.
It is in the 1940s when the perception of tattoos begins to change. That was mainly due to the increasing number of soldiers in WWII returning home with tattoos. Thus began the era of traditional tattoos or known as old school tattoos. Such a form of tattoo was associated with heavy, black and bold outlines of different images. These images were filled with shades of blue and red ink. Without a doubt, one of the most popular tattooists associated with traditional tattooing at the time was Sailor Jerry. He was also known as Normal Collins. He started tattooing at a very young age when he was a teenager. He poked different designs into the skin with his hands and later became one of the most influential tattoo artists ever seen in the United States. To this day, several of Sailor Jerry’s images can be seen on T-shirts, alcohol bottles, and glasses.
From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, there was a tattoo renaissance. Later it became known as the modern-primitive movement. This particular move concerned piercers, tattooists, and body modification enthusiasts. His goal was to take back the art of tattooing and piercing, and bring it into the mainstream, looking at the global history of art. The father of this particular movement was Fakir Musafar. During this time, the tattoo style that originated became known as tribal tattoo, which is still one of the most famous styles today. Such tattoos usually had heavy black outlines, which were then filled in with black ink. The designs were intricate and generally influenced by the cultures of Polynesia, New Zealand, and other similar cultures.
In the last hundreds of years, there have been many social changes that, by the way, drastically changed the way tattoos work in American culture. The perspective of tattoos has changed, as have styles. These changes are important as part of American history, because tattoos are now inked to convey a story about different people and the person himself.
Today, tattoos have become more detailed, colorful, and quite fascinating. Although some people are not in favor of getting tattoos, it is not considered an art and is not associated with criminality and savagery. It has become more of a fashion accessory and several different styles of tattoos have been featured in recent years, the latest being 3D tattoos.
