Tattoo FAQ: The Story Behind The Ink

by Holly Day

Overview

For as long as people have known that a smudge of ash rubbed into an opening in the skin would leave a permanent mark, tattoos have been a facet of society. Every people on the planet have had a tradition of tattooing, from the ocean-faring Polynesians that spread their culture from Tahiti to Hawaii and New Zealand, to the ancient Egyptians and the nomadic peoples of Africa, to both North and South America and the ancient peoples of Eurasia and the Middle East. Tattoos have been used to mark rites of passage, offer relief from pain and illness, provide magical protection against evil, or carry an identifying family mark. While the idea of having a tattoo has been, up until recently, considered a risqué activity of a certain subsection of the population, the reality is that getting a tattoo has been a fairly ordinary thing for most people to do for thousands of years. Some topics include tattoos and circus performers, tattoo machines, medicinal effects of inking, tattoos in literature and films, and more. The book covers the earliest known examples of tattoos to the more recent innovations in the field, such as ultraviolet ink, and temporary tattoos containing one’s personal and financial data.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493047635
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/03/2019
Series:	FAQ
Pages:	360
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Holly Day has been a freelance writer since 1986, with work appearing in several thousand magazines internationally, including regular columns in Guitar One Magazine and Music Alive! magazine. Her published books include the nonfiction books Music Theory for Dummies, Music Composition for Dummies, Guitar All-in-One for Dummies, Piano All-in-One for Dummies, and Walking Twin Cities. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two children.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 When Tattoos Became Mainstream: A Brief Overview of the Practice 1

2 Africa and the Middle East: Ancient and Contemporary Practices 12

3 Eastern Europe: Russia, Siberia, Mongolia, and the Rest 28

4 Western Europe and the Ancient Mediterranean Coast: From Ancient Greece to Victorian England 39

5 Japanese Tattoos: Irezumi Art, from Woodblock Prints to Tattoos 53

6 Chinese Tattoos: From Punitive to Decorative Tattoos 65

7 India and Southeast Asia: Ancient Artistry 73

8 Oceana Tattoos: Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Beyond 90

9 North America and the Arctic Circle: A Forgotten History 116

10 South America: Ancient Practices in the Face of Missionary Influence 131

11 Henna Tattoos, Temporary Tattoos, and Body Paint: The Not-Permanent Ink 138

12 Circus Performers: Tattooed Men and Women 153

13 Prison Tattoos: The Story Behind Bars 168

14 Gang Tattoos: Street Ink 176

15 Sailor Ink: Ink on the High Seas 182

16 Tattooed Makeup: Practical Applications 188

17 Tattoo Schools: Where They Learn to Do It 195

18 The Machines: The Mechanics of Tattooing 203

19 Tattoo Art: Where Does It Come From? 213

20 Photochromatic/UV Tattoos: Glow in the Dark, Invisible by Day 219

21 Tattoo Styles and Fonts: Designing the Perfect Tattoo for You 222

22 Your First Tattoo: What to Expect 229

23 Proper Tattoo Shop Etiquette: Dos and Don'ts for First Timers and Pros 241

24 Choosing the Tattoo Location (Wisely) Blending In Versus Standing Out 248

25 The Care of Your Tattoo: Protecting the Ink 255

26 Tattoos in Literature and Film: Tattooed Characters and Tattoo Themes 259

27 Reality TV Meets Tattoos: TV Shows Inspired by Tattoo Artists 266

28 Standard-Bearers and Rule-Breakers: Innovators in the Field 270

29 Tattoo Conventions: Where to Go, What to Do 294

30 What If I Die? Tattoos, Postmortem 304

31 What If I Don't Like It? Tattoo Removal ABCs 309

32 What Happens Next? The Future of Tattooing 317

33 Recommended Reading: Where Do You Go from Here? 320

Bibliography 329

Index 335