The art of tattoos is a wildly popular and growing art trend in the modern day; and for good reason! Tattoos have the potential for one to customize their body in an artful form of expression. While a vast majority of the United States’ population has begun to partake in this trend, there is still much that even they might not know about the practice. To fill you in on what most people don’t know about tattoos, we have created a list of the most interesting and unknown factoids regarding this unique, artistic expression. Also, check back for our part two article with the remaining eight things you probably don’t know about tattoos!
Number Fifteen: The Anchor. The origin of this now-trending little design was first used by sailors in the navy. To be tattooed with an anchor was to symbolize that said sailor had traveled over the Atlantic. Among modern youths, the anchor is usually said to mean that a person is grounded or happy with where they are.
Number Fourteen: Tattooed Pageant. Upon the airing of the first beauty pageant ever televised, there was one contest who really stuck out from the rest. A woman by the name of Betty Broadbent performed for a circus, displaying her tattoo-covered body as a spectacle. She didn’t win the pageant but proved to be a stunning addition.
Number Thirteen: The Dragon. The origin of this classic tattoo also goes back to old days in the Navy. Sailors who had traveled to China were the only ones who displayed this tattoo. Now, a handful of meanings are possible for this legendary creature.
Number Twelve: Letters are Hard. The word “tattoo” ranks in the English language as the of the words most often spelled wrong. Although, it sure is pretty funny when an actual tattoo gets spelled wrong.
Number Eleven: Macy’s Tattoo. If you have ever wondered why Macy’s chose a red star as their logo, you’re finally going to get an answer. The founder of the Macy’s store, R.H. Macys, worked on a whaling ship when he was a young man. There, he got a red star tattooed on his forearm. He matched his store.
Number Ten: The Turtle I can’t say that I have ever really seen someone with a turtle tattoo, but that was used in the old Navy days, too. The shell of a turtle was used to show that a sailor had crossed the equator.
Number Nine: Wrinkly Tattoos. Senior citizens are getting in on the fun of tattoos, too. The man who holds the title of most tattooed senior citizen in the Guinness Book of World Records is a 74-year-old man by the name of Tom Leppard. His body is covered from head to toe in leopard print tattoos and has even crafted his teeth to match.