Although we are used to seeing girls with beautiful, striking tattoos, tattoos have been an extremely popular trend only for a few decades now. Or isn’t it so? Since the late 19th century, tattoos may not have been that popular, but they were a thing for show-women and bold, progressive ladies.
Check out these badass ladies who getting tattooed on their bodies, long before it was cool.
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| An artist creating skin motifs for evening wear on models at the Hair and Beauty Fair, Olympia, London. 20th September 1938. |
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| A service woman has a tattoo done on her arm in Aldershot, England, in 1951. |
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| A tattoo artist paints a permanent beauty spot on the cheek of a woman at his workshop in Copenhagen in 1956. |
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| A tattooist paints a small rose on the thigh of a woman in 1961. |
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| Tattooist Les Skuse works on a large Japanese scene across the back of a client in 1960. |
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| Japanese tattoo artist Tokumitsu Uchida works over the outline of a design during the 1950s. |
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| Deafy Grassman tattooing his wife, Stella, ca. 1930s. |
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| A tattoo artist inks a client in 1960 with the name of her partner, Jim. |
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| Famed tattoo artist George Burchett works on a client’s thigh in 1930. |
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| A woman having an image of a snake tattooed onto her thigh by George Burchett, 1928. |
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| A young woman shows off her chest tattoo of a horse and jockey in 1930. |
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| Tattooist Les Skuse at work on tattooed beauty Pam Nash, ca. 1960s. |
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| A film fan uses a mirror to admire the image of film star Gary Gooper she has had tattooed on her back by George Burchett a London tattooist, 1936. |
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| A tattooist painting a bluebird on a woman’s breast, 1965. |
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| A woman getting an interesting shoulder piece in 1928. |
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| A tattooist works on a chest piece in 1964. |
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| This woman seen being inked by legendary Bowery tattooist Charlie Wagner, ca. 1920s. |
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| Beachcomber Bill’s wife; Brenda; smiles from table as he shows how he applies tattoo, 1975. |
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| An American tattoo artist working on a client’s shoulder, 1973. |
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| Al Schiefley and Les Skuse apply ink to a willing dish, 1955. |
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| A woman getting tattooed by Charles Wagner. |
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| Woman getting a traditional Japanese tattoo. |
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| ca. 1930s |
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| An unidentified Japanese tattoo artist works on a woman's backside, ca. 1930s. |
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| Woman being tattooed, ca. 1940s. |
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| An English woman wearing a pair of elegant crystal earrings is seen getting her first tattoo in 1930. |
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| Janet “Rusty” Skuse was honored by the Guinness World Records as Britain's most tattooed woman for over 20 years. |
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| Doris Sherrel getting her social security number tattooed by Jack Julian, 1942. |
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| A woman lays her Kimono down as she gets a traditional Japanese tattoo, ca. 1930s. |