The History of the Tattoo Machine
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 IST
More and more people are getting tattoos today, and they do not carry the same social stigma that they used to. But we didn't always use the tattoo machines that you see in your standard parlor.
History and Patenting
The electric tattooing machine was officially patented on Dec. 8th, 1891 by a New York tattoo artist named Samuel O'Reilly. But even O’Reilly would be the first to admit that his invention was really an adaptation of a machine invented by Thomas Edison—the Autographic Printing Pen. O’Reilly witnessed a demonstration of the electric pen, a sort of writing drill that Edison had built to allow documents to be etched into stencils and then copied. The electric pen was a failure. The tattooing machine was an unqualified, worldwide smash.
How it Works
O’Reilly’s tattoo machine worked by using a hollow needle filled with permanent ink. An electric motor powered the needle in and out of the skin at a rate of up to 50 punctures per second. The tattoo needle inserted a small drop of ink below the surface of the skin each time. The original machine patent allowed for different sized needles deliver varying amounts of ink, a very design-focused consideration.
Before O’Reilly’s innovation, tattoos—the word comes from the Tahitian word “tatu” which means "to mark something"—were much harder to make. Tattoo artists worked by hand, perforating the skin perhaps three times a second as they installed their designs. O’Reilly’s machine with its 50 perforations per second was an enormous improvement in efficiency.
Further enhancements and refinements to the tattoo machine have been made and the modern tattooing device is now capable of delivering 3,000 punctures per minute.
Related Topics
Trending News & Articles
Nanda Vrata is dedicated to Shiva and it is believed that Goddess Sati observed this vrat to get Shiva as her husband. It is observed during Phalgun Shukla Paksha...
Recently posted . 18K views . 3 min read
This question has seeked me ever since I can remember ...from my childhood..in my dreams...in my realisation and my internal assimilation of Lord Krishna as my god....
Recently posted . 9K views . 1 min read
Story of Sharabha and Narasimha
In Hinduism, the ‘trimurti’ (Gods) - Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, are...
Recently posted . 7K views . 1 min read
Have any of you realised how beneficial and helpful the lemon is when kept in a transparent glass of water, what it does? Here is the lemon ...
Recently posted . 6K views . 1 min read
More in Spiritual
Naga sadhus wearing colourful attire drawing attention of people
Recently posted. 1K views . 0 min read
एक बार एक शिव-भक्त अपने गांव से केदारनाथ धाम की यात्रा पर निकला। पहले यातायात की सुविधाएँ तो थी नहीं, वह पैदल ही निकल पड़ा। रास्ते में जो भी मिलता केदारनाथ का मार्ग...
Recently posted. 699 views . 5 min read
Rudrakasha seeds have several amazing powers due to their electromagnetic character. This Electromagnetic character empowers the bead to cure the human body medical...
Recently posted. 1K views . 2 min read
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 1K views
Recently posted . 4K views
Recently posted . 3K views
Sadhguru: If you look at the education a child goes through, you spend a certain number of years to learn the alphabet.
Recently posted. 1K views . 1 min read
A first-hand account of a client of the dirty secrets of the Indian Gem Market & how Gemstones are sold on false promises & ridiculous justifications.
Recently posted. 1K views . 4 min read