Tattoo
Essay title: Tattoo
Tattoo:
Throughout the history of tattoos and its practice the art of driving ink under the skin with sharp implements is common among almost all cultures. Tattoos have been discovered on mummified bodies thousands of years old. An ancient art-form tattooing has now become a defined style. The word “Tattoo” is derived from the word tatao, meaning “to tap”, and it describes the technique by which sharp spines laden with color were tapped into the skin to make tribal designs. Captain James Cook, the first white explorer to visit the Polynesian islands, brought the word back to Europe, along with, no doubt, some examples of the tribal art o the chests and arms of his sailors.
Before the common use and convenience of electric power, tattooing was performed with primitive hand help pokers. These simple and varied instruments remained an unchanged universal method for thousands of years. Whether it was a sharp bone, stick or ship’s sewing needle, basically the poked style was ancient in origin.
Thomas Edison, was responsible for the invention of the electric tattoo machine called the “Electric Pen” that was part of a document duplication system used by businesses. In his 1876 patent drawing of a variety of electric engravers, that did not succeed commercially, lies the blue prints for the tattoo machine in use today. Edison’s attempt to modernize the printing industry with his electric stencil maker forever changed the world of tattoo. As for the New York artist Samuel O’Reilly invented the electric tattoo machine in 1891. He had been using the hard method of tattooing before, but it was tediously slow. The demand for more elaborate tattoos le O’Reilly to seek a faster method.
However the mainstream had a fascination with the art of tattoos as evidenced by those who lined up at carnivals and sideshows to see the spectacular body art of the tattooed man or lady. Still, for all their fascination, most of the respectable members of the sideshow audience would never have considered getting a tattoo themselves; tattoos were low-class, and associated with criminals, sailors, and drunks. Although tattoos may be applied to set the wearer apart from the society, they may also affirm the wearer’s membership in a group tribe. Tribal tattoos, such as the “moko” of New Zealand, are a sort of totem, a symbol