Circus sideshow tattooing has a long and fascinating history. Tattooing has been used by circus performers for centuries as a way to showcase their strength and endurance.
In the late 19th century, tattooing was primarily done by traveling tattoo artists who would work at fairs and circuses. These tattooers, known as “tattooed ladies” or “bearded ladies”, would tattoo their own bodies as a form of self-expression and as a way to draw attention to their performances.
One of the most famous tattooed ladies of the 19th century was Irene Woodward, who was known as “La Belle Irene” and was heavily tattooed with images of flowers and birds. Another was the tattooed lady, Nora Hildebrandt, who was born in 1877 and was the first tattooed woman to work in the American circus.
In the early 20th century, tattooing in the circus continued to evolve with the introduction of electric tattoo machines. This allowed for more intricate and detailed tattoos to be done in a shorter amount of time. One of the most famous tattooers from this era was George Burchett, a British tattoo artist who worked at the Great Exhibition in London in 1908 and tattooed many circus performers, including the famous tattooed lady, May McClintock.
Other notable circus sideshow tattooers from the 20th century include Amund Dietzel, who tattooed many circus performers and was known for his realistic portrait tattoos, and Bert Grimm, who was a well-known tattoo artist in the 1940s and 1950s and tattooed many circus performers, including the famous tattooed man, Ralph Crump.
Today, with the rise of tattooing as an art form, the tattoo artists that are working in the circus sideshows are less common but still exists.
