16 Photos Of Tattooed Women in the Past

Tattoos carry historical and cultural significance. During ancient times, they were a sign of ownership, tribe, initiation, strength, devotion, and personal liberty among many others.

But it wasn’t just men who enjoyed the art. Ancient women also had their bodies decorated in ink, oftentimes as an expression and symbol of independence. A perfect example would be the upper class women of the Victorian era who had their skins covered in tattoos to symbolize power and individuality.

Here are 16 women with amazingly noteworthy tattoos photographed from the early 1900s to the 1960s:

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