Tattoos might be an essential coming-of-age marker for the youth of today, but two new exhibitions show that people have been keen on skin etchings for centuries. Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed (17 March-7 January 2018) at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, in Falmouth, will show that “from ruffians to royalty, from pilgrims to punks, tattoos have been etched on to bodies throughout British history as a means of expressing individual and group identity”, the organisers say. Over the pond, it’s worth catching Tattooed New York (until 30 April) at the New-York Historical Society. This fascinating show features Martin Hildebrandt, often credited as the first professional tattoo artist in the city, and his daughter Nora, born around 1850: the tattooist used her as a canvas and she was covered with more than 360 of his designs.
