When European travelers returned from Polynesia to Europe they brought with them tales of fabulous skin art & images that had been drawn to show how they had looked. A number of these travellers were even bearing some of these tattoos, people became more and more fascinated with the concept.

Tattoos

The sailors especially were keen to try out this new art form. The sailors and other westerners who visited Polynesia found natives who were skilled in creating tattoos and the sailors were willing subjects. That was until the colonizing missionary’s decided it was unholy and primitive and tried to stop the practice. They only succeeded in diving it underground and not eliminating it. As the Europeans continued to practice the art.

There were technological advances in design and colour and machines, that led to tattooing becoming more available in the U.S. developing a uniquely all American flavour. In 1846 in New York City the first tattoo shop was believed to have been set up by Martin Hildebrandt.

Where he began a tradition of inking soldiers both union and rebel, as well as sailors who got tattoos representing battles or significant events. King Edward VII was the first to start the fad among his peers in England when he got a tattoo before he ascended the throne.

It seems the perception of the Polynesians as being more primitive then the Europeans and Americans was some what skewed as they used the art of tattooing to reflect things like loyalty and devotion or to memorialize a heroic battle or simply to make abeautiful piece of enduring art. Which is what the Americans and Europeans did as well.

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