1. AristocrAtic
VictoriAn women who
collected tAttoos
Tess Goodwin

2. disciplines
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Gender Studies

3. how did this trend stArt?
• Sir Joseph Banks returned from a voyage to
Polynesia with a tattoo and showed the British
court
• Set a trend of royals getting tattoos
• Harmsworth magazine said it was not
uncommon for members of social elite to gather
in drawing rooms after dinner parties to show
their tattoos
• Rumored that Queen Victoria herself had a
tattoo

4. Tattooed Women

5. why do people get
tAttoos?
• “Reclaim body” fantasy
• “Perfect body” fantasy
• Often if one is unsatisfied with results of
previous modification, might seek out
changes that are more extreme or risky
• S&M

6. British loVed tAttoos

7. why were upper clAss
VictoriAn women
susceptiBle to this
• trend? classes
Set them apart from the other
• Already used to pleasure/pain dichotomy
• Used tattooing to rebel against society and
“reclaim” their body (everyday or trauma)
• Create a sense of community with women who
have shared experiences
• To become even more of a sexual object to be
gazed upon (S&M inherent in society)

8. how did their fAshions effect
their desire to Be tAttooed?
Tight-Lacing CRINOLINES

9. why they did it According to
“reVolting Bodies: the
monster BeAuty of tAttooed
women”
• Primitive excitement
• Let them be free like working women
• Trendy, “Colonialist chic”
• Came from Europe so Americans thought it
was “exotic”

10. sexuAlity & sAdo-
mAsochism
• Pleasure/Pain from Corsets, restrictions and
tattoos
• With Corsets, it is placed upon the women,
tattoos, however are by choice
• Tight Lacing involves their husband, Tattoos
involved them and another man

11. Questions still to Be
Answered?
• How long did the trend last?
• How were women allowed to show that
much of their flesh to a man who was not
their husband?
• Were these women the young mistresses or
wives of upper class men or their “proper”
wives?
• Did they get tattoos to compete with other
women or to please men?

12. Questions/comments