I’ll bet you thought that title would turn out to be some kind of metaphor, didn’t you? Nope! This post is about the history of tattooed ladies in circus sideshows.
Tattoos on women aren’t new to us, and they really weren’t new to the ladies of the circus sideshows either. Tattooing and women have a long history, which twists and turns with changing ideals about adornment, modesty, independence, and function.
Twists! Turns! Exotic stories! Semi-nudity gawked at openly by otherwise decent people! Step right up, folks.