Painted People: 5,000 Years of Tattooed History from Sailors and Socialites to Mummies and Kings

by Matt Lodder

Painted People is a beguiling and intimate look at an untold history of humanity. The earliest tattoos yet identified belonged to Ötzi, the ‘iceman’, whose mummy allows us a brief glimpse into the prehistory of the practice. We know that over the more than five thousand years since he was tattooed, countless cultures have performed this ancient practice, and people in every corner of the world have been tattooed. For the most part, these fascinating histories remain stubbornly untold, and the secrets of Siberian princesses, Chinese generals and Victorian socialites have been hidden on the skin, under layers of clothing and under layers of history. Now with access to a wealth of new and unreported material, this book will roll up its sleeves and reveal the artwork hidden beneath them. In Painted People , Dr Matt Lodder, one of the world’s foremost experts on tattooing, tells the stories of people like Arnaq, who was tattooed in keeping with her cultural and religious traditions in sixteenth-century Canada, and Horace Ridler, who was tattooed as a means to make money in 1930s London. And in between these two extremes, he describes tattoos inked for love, for loyalty, for sedition and espionage and for self-expression, as well as tattoos inflicted on the unwilling, to ostracise. Taken together, these twenty-one tattoos paint a portrait of humanity as both artist and canvas.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Art, Audiobook, Historical

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2022

Reviews

[Ville Verkkapuro · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Wednesday morning and I've been already at the tattoo studio twice this week, having my knee and my back tattooed. A demon and a swallow carrying a leaf.
Not too much space left on my skin, I think I'll be covered in tattoos by the time I hit 40.
It hurts like hell and is relatively expensive, too. So I guess there's a good reason to ask: why?
That's why I read this thing.
I've been interested in tattoos ever since I was a kid. My arms were full of sticker tattoos, I cut a picture of a heavily tattooed woman and glued it besides my bed. I was driven to get tattooed. When I hit my teens, taking my first tattoo at 16, I wanted something I wouldn't regret, so I got a "Carpe Diem" on my back, heheh. It's now covered with another tattoo, but I'll get a new one as I miss the old boy.
So I gradually started getting tattoos, which in 2008 were still causing a light sense of bewilderment among "older" people, including my grandmother and my teachers, reminding me that "they are permanent you know" to which I have always replied "no they are not", because they only last for some years after I die.
I love (parts of) tattoo culture, I trust tattooed people as you need to have be devoted to take them and have a slight devil-may-care attitude. To tattoo a whole body takes years, usually tens of years.
This had interesting stories and a nice structure. From the dawn of tattooing to modern-day tattoos. So many things I already knew, but an important history. Crazy stories about the tattoos in sex subcultures (it's a nasty read), freaks in the circus, the fact nazis hated tattoos, tattoos on black bodies and the racist history, the Victorian era tattoos, the Picasso tattoo thingy which is very interesting, too and I'm not still sure what I read as it's impossible to google "picasso tattoo" and get something else than shitty Picasso tattoos.
Iceman Ötzi had over 60 tattoos, tattooing has been around since for as long as we know. It's older than language, writing, you name it. The longest-running form or culture that is still around. And it's going to be around forever. I love tattoos so much, I love them forever, they ground me to what it is to be human and they, as a phenomena, are permanent.

[kaitlyns_library · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. There were some things on here I already knew about because it comes up when I teach human remains in ancient history, but I just got really excited to see them there. I found each person in history that are involved in tattooing in some way beyond interesting and I went overboard on the annotations.

[Justin KM · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Tattooing is as ancient as time, as modern as tomorrow”


“So is there a way to finally make sense of this paradox, where tattooing is always new, and where its present is always newly severed from its past?”

"As a form of image-making, tattooing seems to get closer to both inner and communal lives than any other"

--

Pretty much exactly as advertised. If you have more than a few tattoos, you might get curious as to where the impulse for this expensive, painful, potentially socially stigmatizing and career-limiting hobby comes from.

This book does a great job of scratching that itch, to the extent it can even be fully explained.

Lodder is a good writer with an eye for the interesting and humorous, and it’s easy to breeze by bits you’re not interested in. Sometimes he tends to dither on particular axes he has to grind - like any Millennial Anglo white scholar worth their salt, he’s preoccupied with displacing colonial narratives in a morally, rather than intellectually, motivated way. But his main theses - that tattoos were never some exotic foreign import from the East to the West, or merely the domain of sailors and criminals, nor are they a ‘recent’ trend or craze, are ultimately compelling.

The book really picks up when it reaches the modern era, since Lodder has more material to draw on, compared to the earlier speculations about ancient rituals that struck me as pretty boring and empty because none of it is confirmed (confirmable?). Some really colourful characters pop up (best example: Joe Carstairs), and their influence on tattooing and status as emblematic of where tattooing was as an art form in their day is constructed well. I particularly enjoyed the extended discussion of where tattoos currently sit within the I.P./copyright law landscape, which came out of the Dennis Rodman chapter of all places.

The modern era half of the book is so much better than the pre-1800s stuff I wish he had spent much more time on it - the ‘epilogue’ chapter is flat-out tantalizing. I would have loved to learn more about the face-tattooed Czech president who won 6% of the vote, or the first ever tattoo convention in the PRC (of all places!) in 2015, to name just two examples. But I believe Lodder has an entire second book on modern-era tattoo history, so maybe he was saving his material for that.

Oh ya, and there are wonderful illustrations and photographs that bring the history of tattooing to life and are often just really cool to look at in themselves.

In sum, unless you have the aforementioned fascination to begin with, it’s hard to imagine most folks enjoying this - it’s probably not one of those S-tier non-fictions that can pull you in even if you couldn’t care less about the subject matter. For me though, very glad to have read it.

[Simona~ pagine_e_inchiostro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recensione a cura della pagina instagram Pagine_e_inchiostro:
Corpi dipinti è un saggio storico e sociologico suddiviso in 21 diverse storie, con il fine di narrare la secolare arte del tatuaggio.

Lodder ha lo scopo di dimostrare quanto il tatuaggio sia un fenomeno culturale con radici antichissime, capace di unire aree globali molto differenti tra loro.
Dai tatuaggi legati alla simbologia sacra, a quelli intesi come marchio di delinquenza, fino a quelli patriottici o religiosi, questo libro è un giro del mondo attraverso i secoli, che si dipana attraverso i segni indelebili incisi sulla pelle dell’Uomo.
L'urgenza di comunicare attraverso i segni é una caratteristica insita da sempre nell’animo umano. Negli anni, questa necessità ha assunto le connotazioni più differenti, fino a diventare un fenomeno di massa.
Corpi dipinti é lo studio di questo excursus, dal corpo tatuato dell’homo sapiens Ötzi, fino alle pin up del Novecento.

Ho apprezzato moltissimo l’approfondimento dell’autore, che approccia il tema con perizia, facendo uno scavo storico incredibile.
Il saggio é approfondito e accurato, con un’edizione di pregio che raccoglie differenti foto e illustrazioni storiche e moderne. La parte saggistica soddisfa la curiosità degli appassionati, ma sicuramente il suo approccio non é per tutti. La scrittura é difatti poco personalizzata, quasi da manuale storico scolastico, e potrebbe allontanare un semplice curioso non appassionato al tema in maniera diretta e personale.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lodder looks at the history of tattoos by focussing on the stories of 21 individuals ranging from Otzi the Iceman to Dennis Rodman. It's a fascinating story and gives a brief overview of the social mores of various time periods.

[Jen Met · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating!!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book had a bibliography cause I'd love to read more on how the aids epidemic changed tattooing to how we see it today

[Georgia Kenington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A non fiction book that I actually finished quickly!!! Testament to how good it was. Learned so much interesting stuff. Loved the author guy he seems very cool. Great great read

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read, though I would’ve loved more detail on several of the sections. I appreciated the inclusion of women getting tattooed throughout history, as it is often overlooked.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Lodder's Painted People is a stunning achievement, offering an insightful and deeply engaging exploration of tattoos as a form of human expression that spans cultures, centuries, and social classes.

One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its structure. Instead of offering a traditional chronological history of tattooing, Lodder focuses on individuals and their tattoos, using each one as a gateway to examine broader themes. Lodder’s writing is captivating, blending scholarly research with an accessible, almost conversational style. His deep passion for the subject shines through on every page. He masterfully dismantles outdated stereotypes about tattoos being associated solely with rebellion or criminality, instead illustrating how they have been embraced by people from all walks of life throughout history.

What truly sets "Painted People" apart is its ability to connect the art of tattooing with broader social, political, and personal issues.

For anyone interested in tattoos, art history, or cultural anthropology, this book is a must-read. But even if you’ve never considered getting a tattoo, "Painted People" will open your eyes to the rich, complex, and often emotional world of body art. Matt Lodder’s work is not only a celebration of tattoos but also a deep reflection on human expression, creativity, and resilience.

[Rosalind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable and wide-ranging, starting with prehistoric bodies and ending with Dennis Rodman. Lodder argues consistently for understanding tattoos in their wider cultural context, and tells the history through a series of vivid lives. I most enjoyed the Early Modern section and the Victorian period, including the case of the Tichborne claimant, and the eccentric American heiress Aimee Crocker.

[Tutankhamun18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic history of tattooing in Europe (Britain specifically). The author opens with the note that this covers the reception of the West to tattooing. The book is in 4 parts and in each chapter we follow the history/story of one tattoo (21 in total, hence the book title). It is written in a very engaging manner, manages to bring together a plethora of examples of tattooing into what feels like a coherent history that is as revealing about tattooing in itself, as it is of the state of society, fashion, art and humanity.

\\Part 1: Tattooing in the Ancient World\\

In this section we learn that “tattoos last for life plus 6 months”, making it hard to find evidence for them in the fossil record. Nevertheless, there are examples including Oetzi (Germany, 3275 BC) having tattoos using pigments made from soot, lines and dots at inflamed joints possibly for a medicinal purpose, and the Gebelein Man (Eygpt, 3330 BC) a tattooed mummy. Then in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, tattoos were used as penal devices and seen as evidence of “savagery”. When the Romans came to Britain they remarked on the blue tattoos seen among the natives. The ancient Greek word “stigma” meant mark, brand for snake spots, tattoo and cow brand.

\\Part 2: Tattoos in Early Modern World\\

The word tattooing emerged in the 18th century in Europe, which means it’s hard to ID accurately before. Before 1768 Inuit tattooing was common, but was then soon forgotten resulting in European surprise at Polynesian tattoos.

\\Part 3: Tattooing after 1853\\

Western tattooing enters the mainstream. In the wake of Japan opening to the world in 1853, decals for temporary tattoos for kids (in the 1850s and 1860s) and decals for the home (serving ware, boxes in 1890). Tattooing was “discovered” in Oceania, where it was an important marker of status, female maturity and becoming a woman and healing. Missionairies tried to ban tattooing in these colonies. These pacific encounters meant tattooing entered vocabulary for first time and also with the growth of the navy, men’s health and appearance, including tattoos, was recorded for the first time. In the pacific tattooing can be dated back to at least 700 BC, so this European “discovery” was very much only colonial in nature. Then in 1900, the electronic tattoo machine was patented for the first time by Samuel O’Reilly in the USA. Meanwhile, the Meiji restoration in Japan made tattooing illegal in 1872. As a result of Japan opening up, the market was flooded with Japanese goods and antiques. However already by 1890s, it was hard to get your hands on a genuine Japanese antique and so getting a tattoo was the best way to get something authentic from old Japan.

\\Part 4: Tattooing in the early 20th century\\

During the early 20th century tattooing became part of popular culture. A French newspaper from 1898 depicts tattooing as a teenage craze, in 1910s tattooing is popular in youth culture in the UK and the US and in the 1880s tattoo studios started to open in London and other places. A British tattooist patents the electric tattoo machine for the first time in Britain, develops non toxic colours (but cannot make a non toxic yellow) and identified the importance of disinfecting and cleaning tattoos. McDonald also makes the first opium injections as local anesthetics to the region being tattooed. From here we learn about child tattooing in the USA in 1900s, about tattooing as fashion and the haute couture, the role tattooing played in trans men’s and trans women’s lives (such as masculine tattoos making men an unideal candidate for transitioning or tattoos helping to convince doctors that you had good enough pain tolerance to inject self w hormones), tattooed people in the circus, the bad rap tattoos got in 50s and 60s, Nazi attitudes towards tattoos (unhuman, make yourself a freak, SS officers getting blood group tattooed under armpit), the conspiracy around Picasso tattoos, Moths to a Flame porn/documentary and how tattoos fit in the world or S&M and finally racism in tattooing and copyrighting and imagery in tattooing.

The book ends on the note that tattoos are “as ancient as time and as modern as tomorrow.”

[Chomiczkowe.recenzje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Q: Co sądzicie o tatuażach?

Współpraca recenzencka z @insignis_media

Dzisiaj słów parę o książce "Ludzie malowani", czyli tytule opowiadającym, jak łatwo się domyślić o tatuażach. Choć sam nie mam tatuaży (dlatego moją modelką została córka) to postanowiłem sięgnąć po tę książkę, ponieważ wydała mi się to ciekawa pozycja, a poza tym liczyłem, że dowiem się z niej coś ciekawego.

I w sumie tak się stało, poznałem ciekawostki i historie z tatuażami w tle, o których nie miałem pojęcia. "Ludzie malowani" to według mnie fajna, dobra pozycja, chociaż po początkowych rozdziałach myślałem, że będzie jeszcze lepiej. Tytuł ten podzieliłbym na takie 3 części w zależności od tego o jakich okresach historycznych opowiadają.

Pierwsza część podobała mi się najbardziej, bo były to czasy najdawniejsze, począwszy od odkrywania szczątków pierwszy wytatuowanych ludzi, do zdecydowanie najciekawszej części. Obejmuje ona to jak wykorzystywano tatuaże w historii, jak na przykład przekazywanie wiadomości za pomocą malunków na ciele, bądź jak były brane pod uwagę w sądzie. Były to takie anegdoty z tatuażem w tle i niezmiernie mi się to podobało i wciągnęło.

Druga część to już taka nowsza historia powiedzmy od mniej więcej od XIX wieku, gdy zaczęły pojawiać się studia tatuażu, a same malunki stały się coraz powszechniejsze. Była to część dobra, ale nie tak wciagąjacą jak ta poprzednia. Ale nadal czytało się to dobrze. Niestety, poziomem odstaje ostatnia część, która według mnie nie wnosiła ona nic nowego i zbyt ciekawego. Opowiada ona o czasach współczesnych. Przeczytałem, bo przeczytałem, ale poprzednie części podobały mi się o wiele bardziej.

Podsumowując, "Ludzie malowani" to książka intrygująca. Mnie się podobała, jak mówię nie w całości, ale dowiedziałem się z niej dużo ciekawego i bardzo podobały mi się historyczne anegdoty, bo jak kiedyś wspominałem lubię historię.

Książkę mogę polecić, była to fajna lektura, dzięki której naprawdę sporo się dowiedziałem.


Więcej moich recenzji znajdziecie na Instagramie @chomiczkowe.recenzje oraz TikToku o tej samej nazwie, gdzie serdecznie zapraszam.

[Adam McDade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as much about cultural history as it is about tattooing, which is central to the whole theme—tattooing is and pretty much always has been integrated into cultures from around the globe. Lodder eloquently yet accessibly presents the seemingly otherwise untold stories of twenty tattooed individuals, helping the reader paint a more detailed picture of the cultural context of each story using the tattoo as a lens of inspection.

The book is essential reading for tattoo practitioners and enthusiasts, as well as those interested in cultural history, art history, or just captivating and beautifully written stories. It serves as a perfect accompaniment to the podcast that the author co-presents, 'Beneath the Skin' which is equally fantastic, and his infinitely valuable catalogue of academic writing on tattooing.

Highly recommended!

[Amy :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful encyclopaedia of all corners of the industry - Tattoos have such a big place for myself and the people in my life, i recommend strongly for one-stop-shop for such a beautiful art.

I can't wait to revisit this in the future, when i think of a perfect non-fiction title, it holds a place on that (ever expanding) list. Nowadays the ubiquitous nature of tattoo culture (no matter how you feel about them), is more prevalent in culture as ever.

Its cultural significance is key to understanding and acquainting yourself with indigenous culture across the world. Said history is covered so vastly in such a compact book, and even starts as a great introduction to tattoos important part beyond the western world.

With pairs well with the 'tattoo dictionary', which elaborates on the themes of symbolism in traditional tattooing mentioned throughout this book.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! I really enjoyed this and recommend it to everyone that is interested in tattoos, art history, or just history in general.

Tattoo history is often covered only in the Western context, but Lodder takes examples from all over the worls, different points in history, and using a diverse set of people/peoples as examples. In this book, tattoos are also not covered only as tattoos, but in their complex social and political contexts. You don't just learn about tattoos, but so much more.

The only thing I didn't like was what non-fiction writers sometimes do to make the book more casual and appealing, which is imagining people's behavior and thoughts. You absolutely do not know what some guy thought as he was getting a tattoo in, I don't know, China 500 years ago.

[SusyG · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ Il voto sarebbe 4.5/5

Ma voi lo sapevate che la mummia di Ötzi ha 60 tatuaggi??? 🤯 Perché io no! Questo libro è stato davvero interessante, io non ho tatuaggi ma mi ha affascinato scoprire quanto è antica la storia del decorarsi la pelle. Un'arte che ha toccato un po' tutte le civiltà, in qualcuna per un po'è sparita e ha avuto connotazioni negative, per alcune erano simboli spirituali. Ci sono anche storie molto curiose! Insomma, c'è davvero tanto da sapere! Un'edizione curatissima, con ottime foto e citazioni. Mi è piaciuto tanto e penso che chiunque, tatuati e non (lol) possano apprezzarlo!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection of tattoo-related stories from across history. It mainly focussed on the reception/public opinion on tattoos, whereas I had expected it to be about the development of certain styles (because Storytel tagged it as art history). It also took some elaborate side tracks every now and then that weren't always necessary. Still, it was fun to read and I learned a lot of new facts about the history of tattoos and I appreciated how the author also described the reception of tattoos relating to colonialism and homophobia in certain times.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really flippin' loved this book. The mix of 21 different stories (in chronological order) was an excellent way to maintain interest and keep the pace. I personally preferred the more ancient stories (laced with more mystery) but the author did such a fantastic job keeping the current stories engaging by weaving in broader social commentary and interesting pop culture references. Absolutely recommend to anyone interested in tattooing, history, sociology, anthropology, gender & sexuality, sports, pop-culture and military history (so, basically everyone ever).

[Alaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a heavily tattooed woman with a history degree, I found the topic interesting immediately. It's why I was drawn to the book in the first place. It is definitely right up my alley. And it was so interesting! I don't want to give away too much but I will say I learned a lot of new things, and really enjoyed the book. It was a little bit on the dry side but not to the point that it felt like assigned reading.

[Thom Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book showing the complex and fascinating history of tattooing through a number of snapshots throughout the centuries.

Lodder is an excellent storyteller and each chapter is captivating whilst developing a number of themes both about tattooing itself, but also fringe cultures, colonialism, class, aesthetics, gender and rebellion.

Not only the best book on tattooing you’ll find but one of the best non-fiction books of the year.

[Dave Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informative. I liked the author's approach of focusing on a particular moment or place to show how tattoos either reflected or influenced the culture of that moment. I thought it was clever and more interesting than a straight history of tattooing. I do think the book would have benefited from a few more photos, but the ones that were there were good and relevant.

[Duncan Swann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing and style had a bit to be desired, but overall I really enjoyed most of the chapters. It was a little slow at first, but as we start to see how tattoo culture cross-pollinated across the world and through time it became quite intriguing. Tatts are not what you think they are! Collage nonfiction I would call it - a central theme but easily digestible stand alone stories.

[Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't finished a book in a long while now, started this just before my tattoo apprenticeship was fitting. I really enjoyed the book and liked the format of each chapter being about a different person/time in tattoo history. For me the first half of the book was more interesting but I still enjoyed the ending.

[Lori Sara]

I thought this book was (inevitably) interesting. Tattooing is 5000 years old, roughly as old as agriculture and writing, but the idea that tattoos are modern perdures. I enjoyed how this book tried to unpack this paradox. I particularly enjoyed chapters 6 (1577), 12 (1900), 15 (1965), 17 (1941), and 20 (1994).

[Marco Olivetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una storia del tatuaggio molto interessante, fa capire come il taboo sui corpi dipinti sia continuativo nelle diverse epoche ma soprattutto sia pervasivo dalla nascita della cultura borghese classica.

[Leanne London · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and well researched account of the history of tattooing. With the questions surrounding truly the beginning, to how tattoos were created and the reasoning behind them throughout history, it is a real page turner.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this. The expansion on the traditional conception of 'tattoo culture' through the myriad of ways that marks on skin can be used to express oneself and ones beliefs through all periods of history!

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe more like 2.5 stars. the contents of this book was pretty interesting, especially tattooing from a loooong time ago. but the writing is a bit dry so it didn't really pull me in. if you're interested in tattoos from a historical perspective, i still recommend you pick up.

[Ajax · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️