Exhibit Envoy

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Tattooed and Tenacious: Inked Women in California’s History

Description

Reach new audiences with this timely exhibit exploring the history of inked women and how they’ve shaped tattoo culture in the Golden State.

Almost a quarter of American women now have tattoos, while over a third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 40 wear permanent skin art.

A tattooed woman sits with her legs crossed. Tattoo flash is on the wall behind her.
Ruth Weyland, n.d., courtesy of Spider Webb
A Native woman looks at the camera. She has lines tattooed on her chin.
O Che Che and her chin tattoos, photograph by Edward Curtis, courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-109712.
A woman stares defiantly at the camera. She is heavily tattooed and her arms are crossed.
Maud Stevens Wagner, c. 1907, courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress, LC-USZ6-1545

From the upper-class women who started the tattoo craze to the working-class Tattooed Ladies who performed in circus sideshows, this exhibit puts the foremothers of modern tattooing in the spotlight. Through photographs and personal histories, this exhibit uncovers the fascinating and largely unknown story of women and tattoos before WWII. A show-stopping mannequin, hand-drawn by current Bay Area female tattoo artists and specially commissioned for this show, highlights how far women and tattooing have come.

A woman stares straight-faced at the camera. She has lines tattooed on her chin. The photograph is in a gold frame, also seen in the image.
Olive Oatman . Tintype Portrait of Olive Ann Oatman, Western Americana Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

The exhibition includes the following themes:

  • Introduction
  • Native Ink
  • Wealthy Women and the Tattoo Craze
  • Tattooed Ladies (Circus Sideshow Performers)
  • Female Tattoo Artists
  • The Mechanics of Tattooing
  • Tattooing After World War II

This exhibit is also available as an online exhibit! Book the online exhibit as a stand-alone experience, or pair it with the physical exhibit when you host. Visit our online exhibits page to learn more.

Tattooed and Tenacious: Inked Women in California’s History is a traveling exhibition from Exhibit Envoy in partnership with the Hayward Area Historical Society and History San Jose.

Specs

Audience:
Adults, Teens
Rental Fee:
$1,000 + shipping for an 8-week booking
Size:
800 sq. ft. with interactives
Languages:
English, Spanish (via accompanying PDF)
Security:
Limited
Installation Images:
View Here

Exhibit Components:

  • 18 images on canvas (12”x18” and smaller) with accompanying labels
  • 1 introductory panel, 7 section panels, and numerous secondary panels
  • 1 mannequin featuring the work of contemporary female Bay Area tattoo artists
  • Digital Spanish translation of the exhibition script
  • Exhibition press kit with digital images and social media templates
  • Suggestions and templates for low-budget interactives

Schedule and Availability

July 9, 2015 – September 9, 2015
March 20, 2016 – December 31, 2016
History San Jose (Pasetta House), San Jose
February 26, 2017 – April 23, 2017
December 31, 2017 – March 11, 2018
March 25, 2018 – May 28, 2018
June 10, 2018 – August 19, 2018 (10 weeks)
Downtown Library, Roseville
September 2, 2018 – December 30, 2018 (17 weeks)
June 9, 2019 – August 4, 2019
September 15, 2019 – December 8, 2019 (13 weeks)
January 5, 2020 – March 1, 2020
April 11, 2021 – October 24, 2021
Camron-Stanford House, Oakland (Rescheduled)
November 7, 2021 – January 9, 2022
January 23, 2022 – March 20, 2022
San Luis Obispo Library, San Luis Obispo (Rescheduled)
June 12, 2022 – August 7, 2022
August 21, 2022 – January 1, 2023 (19 weeks)
January 22, 2023 – March 19, 2023
September 17, 2023 – December 31, 2023 (15 weeks)
February 11, 2024 – June 2, 2024 (16 weeks)
July 14, 2024 – September 8, 2024
AVAILABLE
September 29, 2024 – November 24, 2024
AVAILABLE

This show will travel indefinitely! Contact us to discuss booking dates beyond 2024.