Tattooing was brought to America in the late 1800’s, with the first tattoo machine being invented in 1891. However, it took over 80 years for the art of tattooing to be accepted into mainstream culture. Early in the twentieth century, tattoos were reserved for people in the outskirts of society. Sailors often got tattoos that were nautical in nature, such as anchors and sea life. Circus performers were also part of the tattooed community. The first example of tattoo flash was actually in the circus. Traveling shows would have flash sheets, pages with set-price, ready-made tattoo designs, as an advertisement of the tattoos you could get from the circus if you were brave enough. For a brief time in the 1930s, after the creation of social security numbers, some people got their numbers tattooed on them as a way to remember them. During this time, these tattoos were seen as a tattoo of necessity, not as a form of expression. The commonly known “Sailor Jerry” style of tattooing came around in the 1940s. The creation of new colored inks pushed this style of tattooing to the forefront. During the time of the second World War, America saw a surge of patriotic tattoo designs. Much of the military personnel got tattoos of American flags and bald eagles. Tattoos remained on the outskirts of society until the middle of the seventies. During this time, tattoos were beginning to be seen as a form of self-expression. Towards the end of the Vietnam War, ideas of peace on earth frequently showed up in tattoo designs. The 1980s brought a time of rebellion among majority of the youth in America. This idea of going against social norms pushed tattooing even further into mainstream America. Larger, more colorful motif designs became popular, as did bold, black line works such as Celtic knots. Once America emerged into the 1990s, tattooing became popular and more accepted into mainstream society. Celebrities were now openly showing off new ink, and the middle-class youth of America fell in love with permanent symbols of self-expression in the form of tattoos. While this was great for the business of tattooing, the sudden rise in popularity brought with it tattoo “trends.” While tattoos were becoming more popular, they often lacked originality. While some of the designs were just popular imagery among pop culture, other styles and designs were taken from ancient tattoo styles outside of America. Tattooing has become more advanced in the past three decades than ever before, but tattoo trends have a tendency to stick around, simply changing subject matter every few years.
The nineties were a time of prosperity in America. The rapid advancements in technology brought an entire new way of life. Caller ID meant less prank calls, and the creation of the internet opened up a world of endless possibilities. The nineties were also a time of questionable fashion trends. Bell bottom pants became popular once more along with midriff bearing spaghetti strap tank tops and big hair scrunchies. The nineties also had some of the worst tattoo design trends to date. 
