International Face and Body Art Day – February 1, 2025

History of International Face and Body Art Day

Humans have been tattooing themselves since ancient times — before the advent of tattooing technology. The earliest evidence of tattooing was discovered on the body of Otzi, the Iceman found in the Alps, which scientists carbon-dated at around 5,200 years old. Tattoos were also found on the body of Egyptian mummies, which revealed that tattooing had been practiced in ancient Egypt as far back as between 3351 and 3017 B.C. Unlike other cultures during antiquity, the ancient Greeks and Romans had a peculiar use for tattoos. Greek and Roman records from at least the fifth century B.C. revealed that they used tattoos to mark enslaved people, criminals, and prisoners of war. However, that changed during late antiquity, when Romans began tattooing soldiers and arms manufacturers.

In the 17th century, European Christians on pilgrimage to the Holy Land were tattooed with the Jerusalem Cross to commemorate their voyages. The introduction of tattooing to Britain is attributed to Captain James Cook and his men. During the 18th century, Cook made several trips to the South Pacific, where he and his sailors were exposed to the tattooing culture of the indigenous people. Cook introduced the Tahitian word ‘tatau,’ which became “tattoo.” Returning from one of their expeditions, Cook’s sailors and seamen sported tattoos, including Sir Joseph Banks — a well-known English aristocrat. These tattoos gave birth to a practice that soon became a tradition among European seamen and across the world.

In the 19th century, Martin Hildebrandt, a German immigrant, became the first documented professional tattooer in the United States. During the American Civil War, he tattooed soldiers on both sides of the war. Later, in 1891, Samuel O’Reilly, a New York City tattooer, patented the first electric tattoo machine. O’Reilly derived his inspiration from Edison’s electric pen, which he modified. Since the invention of this machine, tattooing has grown in prominence, from being a form of resistance to a part of expressionism. However, tattooing took off among young Americans between the 1970s and the early 21st century, becoming a mainstream part of global and Western fashion. This growth in tattoo popularity has led to the influx of new artists into the industry, many of whom have received formal art education.