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100 Years of Tattoos by David McComb

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Do you remember a time when if you happened to be sat in a pub and someone walked in with tattoos on their face you’d start looking for the nearest window to climb out of? I do, in fact I even knew a lad who for some strange reason decided to have ‘Fuck‘ tattooed just underneath his left eye which he later changed to ‘Buck‘ in the vain hope that it might give him a better chance of getting a job. It didn’t. I kind of miss those days when having tatts still meant that you were in all likelihood pretty mental as opposed to today where they’re more likely to suggest that you’re 100% normal.

For those of you keen to know just how tattoos made the transition from high seas to haute couture David McComb has documented the fascinating journey of the tattoo over the past 100 years in a brilliant new book. Within it’s inky pages you’ll find over 400 photographs of every kind of tattoo imaginable (plus a few unimaginable ones) accompanied by an authoritative history on the rise of human needlework in it’s many unique forms. I’d strongly advise buying this book for a number of reasons though it’s particularly handy if you’re considering getting inked yourself and fancy doing a bit of research beforehand. And as with jackets I’d also recommend looking towards Japan for your inspiration if you really want something special on your arm/back/face/girlfriend.

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laurenceking.com/100-years-of-tattoos

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