Tattoos are no longer just an art form of the elite or associated with societal deviants. People of all ages and from all walks of life are finding their own special meaning in tattoos. Once associated only with gangs, tattoos are done between friends sharing common bonds and by individuals expressing their own uniqueness.  The word tattoo comes from the Tahitian tatu meaning 'to mark something'. The art of tattooing itself is surrounded by a great deal of controversy. It is claimed that it dates back to around 12,000 BC.  The concept and art of tattooing has existed throughout the centuries, beginning as early as Ancient Egypt around 2000 B.C.

    Mummies have been uncovered with evidence of line and dot patterns having been tattooed on their bodies. They are mostly female mummies and the various patterns on the bodies match those etched on figurines from the same period. Some of these figures have been associated with the Goddess Hathor. One of the most famous tattooed mummies is that of Amunet, a priestess of the Goddess of Hathor.

    The art of tattooing in Egypt developed from the Nubians. It matured and flourished during the Middle Kingdom and well beyond. Most of these early tattoos were done on women and for ritualistic practices.  As the Egyptian Empire spread, so did the art of tattooing and around 2000 BC it reached China.

    Beyond China, and Egypt  tattoo art was popular in Japan and other Asian cultures. During the Jomon, Yayoi and Kofun periods tattooing flourished. Archeological study has uncovered dogu (figurines) made throughout these periods with markings around the mouths believed to be tattoos. These marks have caused controversial debates, but evidence of tattoo markings on Asian people of this period support the argument that the marks are tattoos and not mere ornamental decorations.

    Throughout the Yayoi period, 300 B.C. - 300 A.D., men in Japan and China decorated their faces and bodies to ward off large serpents and evil forces and spirits. The variations and size of the tattoos differed according to the societal position and rank of the individual.

    Tattooing during the Kofun period of 300 - 600 A.D. took on more meaning throughout the society. Thieves bore specific tattoos and tattooing became a punishment for other crimes and associated with prisoners and gangs. Tattooing was not something done by the upper society. To this day, in Japan, ideas about tattoos have not changed much and are still thought of as being related to the mob, criminals and deviants of lower society.

    In other parts of the world, tattooing was reserved to the elitist culture. People are often amazed to note that royalty such as King George V, Grand Duke Alexis of Russia and King Harold bore tattoos. At one time, tattooing was an expensive art form, out of reach to the common people. Tattoo artists were revered as highly as canvas artists.

     In Borneo, for example, women bore a symbol on their arms to denote their specific skills, thus increasing their potential for marriage, whilst tattoos worn around the fingers and wrist were said to ward off illness. Clan or society membership have also often been symbolized by tattoos throughout history. It has also been believed that the wearer of an image calls the spirit of that image. For example, the ferocity of a tiger would belong to the person baring this tattoo.

    In ancient Greece, the tattoo was used to mark spies while the Romans used the tattoo to mark slaves and criminals. In western Asia, the Ainu people used tattoos to signify social status. The Ainu were said to have carried the art to Japan where is became a mark of religion. Dayak warriors who had 'taken a head' were signified by a tattoo on the hand. The Polynesians employed tattoos to denote status, tribal communities and rank. They carried this art to New Zealand where a facial tattoo, Moko, was developed. The Danes, Saxons and Norse were often tattooed with their family crest.

    In 787 AD, Pope Hadrian banned tattooing, although it was still practiced in Britain until the Norman invasion of 1066. It then vanished from Western culture until the 16th century. During this time of scarcity in the west, tattooing thrived in Japan, where is progressed from a method to mark criminals to an aesthetic form. Around 1700, the Japanese body suit originated, primarily among the middle classes. 

    Tattooing was re-introduced to the west by the sailor and explorer William Dampher. In 1691 he brought to London Prince Giolo, a heavily tattooed Polynesian. He was a profitable subject, being used for exhibition, mostly as tattoos had not been seen in Europe for six-hundred years.

In the late 1700s, Captain Cook brought to London another Polynesian, Omai. Due to the success of the art displayed by Omai, tattooing became popular with the upper classes on a small scale.

    In those days, tattooing was a slow and painful procedure, being completely done by hand. Based on Edison's earlier invention, Samuel O'Reily patented the first electric tattoo machine in 1891. This increased the availability of tattooing and made it a much more affordable procedure. Since tattooing was now common, the upper classes turned away from it. 

    By the start of the 20th century, tattooing was beginning to be viewed as sleazy. Heavily tattooed people, previously admired, were now appearing in circuses and freak shows, the most famous being Betty Broadbent of Ringling Brothers Circus. Tattooing was forced underground as it became socially unacceptable. Training was in short supply and magazines showing tattoos unheard of.

    Chatham Square in New York was the birthplace of the American style tattoo. Samuel O'Riley opened a studio there, later taking on Charlie Wagner as an apprentice. After O'Riley's death, Wagner joined forces with Lew Alberts to begin the supply of equipment. Alberts is known for his design of tattoo flash art. Chatham Square flourished while the art of tattooing declined in popularity across the rest of the country. The onset of the First World War, images of bravery and wartime icons became the order of the day.

    The onset of prohibition and the depression of the 1930s caused Chatham square to lose its appeal, with the focus shifting to Coney Island. Tattoo studios opened in towns with military bases, then the largest source of business. The tattoo focus was then on representing the places the person had traveled.

    The Second World War again caused the popularity of tattooing to decline as they were beginning to be seen as the mark of juvenile delinquents, bikers and the many other entities society attempted to cast out.

    In the 1960s, an outbreak of hepatitis, coupled with media horror stories of blood poisoning and disease, caused by the failure of most studios to properly sterilize equipment, prompted tattooing to fall into further disrepute. The previously booming businesses of Times Square and Coney Island were closed after violations of new health codes. For many years, tattoos were nearly impossible to get as the procedure was illegal in New York. Moreover, with the reputation now surrounding them, very few people wanted tattoos.

    In the late 1960s, Lyle Tuttle managed to change many of the negative views surrounding the art of tattooing. He tattooed celebrities, mostly female, and became a vocal media advocate for the art form.

     Currently, tattooing is more popular than ever and is also more widely accepted as a part of our society. Tattooists are now considered 'fine artists' and receive more respect than in years past. Artists now combine more traditional art with their own flavor to create some truly stunning work. Hygiene is also now a major consideration of any self-respecting tattooist. All in all, the changes that have occurred have today created a safe, artistic form of self-expression.