Tattoos in the Victorian Period

By: Elizabeth King

It isn’t very often that I have the chance to get in period dress anymore, but I recently had the pleasure of being outfitted as one of the characters in the Museum’s Historic Literary Walks. When dressing up, there are certain rules we’ve adopted here at the Village to be as authentic as possible when representing the fashion of the years we portray. They’re all pretty obvious; no noticeable make-up, no bright, unnaturally coloured hair showing, no modern face piercings visible, and no nail-polish. Checking myself, I was okay on all fronts, relieved.

But then…it struck me!

A few months ago I got a visible tattoo. It’s a tiny one, and it’s not very noticeable at a glance, but it’s right on top of the middle finger on my left hand. And if I gesticulate, you notice it. This got me thinking…am I going to have to wear gloves? Am I going to be banned from getting into costume, will I ever look authentic in our costumes again? It actually worried me! I decided I needed to know more – because if there’s one thing you can be sure of when it comes to me – I love a soap box, and I want to be ready with my argument for why it’s going to be okay. So here it is folks - I can still be a Victorian lady, even with a tattoo! This is why…

In England and the U.S. in the early 1800’s, tattooing was a shocking and scandalous art seen only amongst the lower classes - sailors, criminals, and women of ill repute. All of this changed, however, in the 1860’s when Queen Victoria’s son, the then Prince of Wales, had a cross tattooed on his body as a symbol of religious devotion while on a trip to Jerusalem. Two of his children followed suit, and in the 1880’s, had tattoos done as well. They were vocal about emulating their father. This caused, like most taboo things, an interest to blossom. Now that a few important people showed an interest, it started what would be a trend among the Aristocracy at the time. In one article I read that "in 1898, in an article in the Harmsworth Monthly Pictorial Magazine, author R.J. Stephen estimated as many as 100,000 people in London (England) alone had tattoos."

I should explain that these tattoos were not visible and prominently out on display. People were quite tricky about hiding their ink, and it wasn’t common to see the work.  Today, tattoos are a mainstream phenomenon and very much on display. Not so in the Victorian era. Although it was happening, and people knew, the owners of the work would wear jewelry and accessories to cover it up until they wanted it seen.

When looking up information for this article, I came across some information about Lady Churchill (yes, that’s Winston’s mama!). If that isn’t an example of a Victorian lady, I don’t know what is. Apparently, she was known for wearing bracelets. It was her signature accessory. In 1906, in the New York Times, it was reported that these bracelets were actually worn to cover the tattoo of a serpent that wrapped around her wrist. Lady Churchill is pictured below.

There she is – a tattooed Victorian lady, who if she moved her arm and hand the right way, had a visible tattoo! (She is actually a VERY interesting lady to read about. If you feel like a trip down “feminists in history” lane, go google her! She worked, she was an artist, she had affairs – and 3 husbands – and according to lore, she is responsible for what we now know as the Manhattan cocktail).

Like most trends, once it trickled down to the middle and working classes, the Aristocracy lost interest. Tattooing went underground again. One of the more colourful items that is documented is that it became a popular attraction in the carnival to have women who were completely covered with tattoos tell terrible stories about being forced into them against their will. These stories- dark, fascinating, and terrible - were not always true. Here are some photographs of tattooed women who were part of the carnival scene:

Nora Hildebrandt

Maud Stevens Wagner (a tattoo artist herself!)

 So the result of all of this…

I could wear gloves, or a ring, and cover my ink when I am in period dress.

But I could also argue that as a matter of personal choice, I don’t follow convention and there were plenty of Victorian women who didn’t.

The point is, we’re not talking about a Victorian dress and a cell phone here. Tattoos existed, the MACHINE for tattooing even existed, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

Elizabeth King is the Administrative/Volunteer Coordinator at Lang Pioneer Village Museum.  She has been working at the Village since May of 2009.  Elizabeth is passionate about history, costuming, reading, vegan culinary crusades and environmental pursuits. When she isn’t in the middle of a project at Lang, she is often found with her head in the clouds.

In Flanders Fields – Part 9: Canadian Sniper - Francis Pegahmagabow, First Nation’s War Hero

By Joe Corrigan

In 2014, Clint Eastwood produced a major motion picture entitled “American Sniper” starring Bradley Cooper. The movie was based on the autobiography of Chris Kyle, the most effective U.S. sniper in the conflict in Iraq. The most prolific sniper of the First World War was Francis Pegahmagabow, an Objibwe who was born on what is now the Shawanaga First Nation near Nobel, Ontario. It is believed that Francis Pegahmagabow was born on March 8th or 9th, 1889. In Objibwe his name was Binaaswi “the wind that blows off”. His parents both passed away of an unspecified illness at an early age and Francis was raised by Noah Nebimanyquod who had also raised Francis’s father. He grew up in Shawanaga where he learned how to hunt and fish and was guided in his values by a mix of Catholicism and Anishnaabe spirituality. He completed his education in 1912 and worked that summer for the Department of Marine and Fisheries on the Great Lakes as a marine fire fighter. During this time Francis was given a small leather pouch that he believed gave him special protection from danger, a fact that certainly had an impact on his military career.

Shortly after the outbreak of the Great War in August 1914, Francis Pegahmagabow enlisted in the Canadian Army, despite government discrimination that initially discouraged aboriginals from joining the war effort. After a period of training at Valcartier, Quebec, Francis sailed for England with the rest of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). By February 1915, the CEF took its place in the trenches of Belgium where Francis was posted to the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division. The 2nd Battle of Ypres in late April of 1915 was where Francis first saw combat along the rest of the CEF. This was the battle where the Germans unleashed chlorine gas for the first time in the war. The Canadians faced this new threat and held their line with great courage and determination. It was during this time that Francis, or “Peggy” as he was known to his mates, began to establish a reputation as an effective sniper and scout. Shortly following the battle Francis was promoted to Lance Corporal. He was recommended by his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Albert Creighton, for the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for his “disregard for danger and faithfulness to duty”. The DCM was considered second only to the Victoria Cross in terms of importance but Creighton’s recommendation was downgraded to the Military Medal (MM).

Francis was wounded during the Battle of the Somme in late 1916 but returned to the line in time for the Battle of Passchendaele, around the 6th or 7th of November 1917, where he earned a bar to his Military Medal, the equivalent of winning the medal once again. On August 30, 1918, during the Battle of the Scarpe, Francis braved heavy machine gun and rifle fire to bring ammunition to his post that had nearly run out and helped repulse several heavy German counter attacks. For this action, Francis was awarded a second bar to his Military Medal.

Francis Pegahmagabow, 1945

Over the course of the war, Frances earned the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal along with his Military Medal and 2 bars and was promoted to Corporal. He was credited 378 sniper kills. During his work as a scout he would often infiltrate enemy trenches at night, often taking pieces of uniforms from the German soldiers as they slept. His prowess in this regard resulted in his capture of over 300 prisoners over the course of the fighting. Francis’ faith in the special protection of that little leather pouch saw him taking chances that others would not dare to copy.

By the end of the First World War, Francis Pegahmagabow was the most decorated First Nations soldier in the CEF. He married in later life and fathered six children. He was an advocate for First Nations issues and was twice elected chief of the Parry Island First Nations.

For those who wish to learn more about Francis Pegahmagabow there is a Wikipedia page on his life. Francis is also the subject of a book entitled “Pegahmagabow: Legendary Warrior, Forgotten Hero” by Adrian Hayes which was published in 2003. The You Tube series “The Great War” has an episode of its feature “Who did what in WW1?” on Francis’ life. You can find the link by clicking here.

As a tribute to this intrepid warrior, a life size statue of Francis was erected in his honour on National Aboriginal Day, June 21st, 2016 in Parry Sound, Ontario. The figure of Pegahmagabow has an eagle on one arm, a Ross rifle slung from its shoulder and a caribou at his feet representing the Caribou Clan that he belonged too. In case you’re wondering from what was noted in a previous edition of “In Flanders Fields” the Ross rifle, though discredited due to its tendency to jam and overheat in the rapid fire requirements of combat, was an excellent and extremely accurate firearm for the stealthy role of the sniper.

Joe Corrigan has been Museum Manager at Lang Pioneer Village since February of 2003. He has been a lifelong student of history. His specific areas of interest are Canadian and world political, military and sports history with a particular focus on biographical works. Joe has been interpreting Sir John A. Macdonald at the Museum's Historic Dominion Day event since 2007.