Tattoo History: Samuel O’Riley
You can thank Samuel O’Riley (sometimes spelled “O’Reilly”)for patenting the very first tattoo machine in 1891. The mechanics of the machine were actually based upon an invention by Thomas Edison designed to embroider fabric.
This was Edison’s design, as recorded in the US Patent Office:
O’Riley modified Edison’s design to introduce ink into the skin. This early tattoo machine included moving coils, a tube of ink, and a needle bar.
O’Riley worked out of a barber shop in New York, which he called a tattoo parlor. His invention and his tattoo parlor helped increase the popularity of tattooing as getting tattooed was no longer was the painful and time-consuming process it once was.
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February 1st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Wow! i knew that O’Reilly had patented the electric tattoo machine, however i had no idea that he only modified an invention of Thomas Edison. That Edison is a pretty smart guy….
April 5th, 2009 at 10:14 am
There is obviously a lot to know about this. I think you made some good points.
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