Works Cited

• "Even if you have quality pigments and use the recommended carriers to mix the ink, there are other, less obvious potential health hazards associated with tattoo inks: Alcohol makes skin more permeable. This means that when alcohol is used in the ink or to disinfect the skin's surface, it allows more chemicals to cross into the bloodstream than ordinarily would".
• "Samuel O'Reilly invented the electric tattooing machine in 1891. O'Reilly improved upon an earlier tattoo machine invented by Thomas Edison that did not succeed commercially. Tattoo machines work by using a hollow needle filled with permanent ink. An electric motor pushes the needle in and out of the skin at a rate of up to 3,000 punctures per minute. The tattoo needle inserts a small drop of ink about 1/8 of an inch below the surface of the skin each time".
• "Our word came from Polynesian languages such as Tahitian and Samoan and was introduced to English speakers by the explorer Capt. James Cook (who also gave us the word taboo). The earliest use of the verb tattoo in English is found in 1769 in his account of a voyage around the world from 1768 to 1771. Cook also used a noun in his writings of 1769 but treated it as a native word so he is not given credit for the first use of the noun in English (recorded in 1777".
• "Skin was the first canvas for art. Sticks and other pointy objects were the first paintbrushes. Tattooing was first a form of scarification. This involved wounding oneself and packing dirt or ashes into the scrape or cut to discolor it permanently. It is believed that prehistoric man cut holes in his skin, charred sticks in the fire, let them cool and then applied the black substance to the wound to create tribal markings. As tattooing involved pain, blood and fire, primitive man believed the process released sacred life forces. The letting of blood was also associated with a sacrifice to the Gods. The symbol or animal form of the tattoo was thought to bring one protection from attack from that very same animal. Tattoos were also used to bring one's soul in alignment with God's purpose, increase virility and fertility, ensure the preservation of the body after the death and delineate hierarchies and roles within tribes. For instance, a tribal chieftain would have a very different tattoo than the individual in the tribe who was thought to bring them all bad luck. As skin does not preserve that well there is very archeological evidence that prehistoric people engaged in tattooing, although a few Paleolithic artifacts that have been discovered seem to suggest that the art of tattooing is as old as mankind".
• "There are few art forms that have been around for as long as tattooing – in fact, some anthropologists claim that the history of tattoos may date back as long as 15,000 years! Certainly, we know that many of the ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, used tattooing techniques. There are mentions of tattooing in the Bible, indicating that it was practiced among the ancient peoples of the Middle East as well. However, the remarkable thing about the history of tattoos is not just the length of time that humans have practiced it; looking at the history of body tattooing, we cannot help but be struck by how widespread this tradition was. Apparently, decorating the body in this permanent way is an almost universal impulse spread over a lot of different cultures".