"In Chatham Square on the Bowery you could get a shoe-shine, a haircut and a tattoo for two dollars."
- Jimmy Colantuono, New York City Tattoer 

Modern mechanical tattooing was invented in New York City at the end of the 19th century. In his shop in Chatham Square on the Bowery, Samuel O'Reilly modified Thomas Edison's "Electric Engraving Pen" and created the first device which could mechanically enscribe a tattoo into the skin. The speed and accuracy of the new technology revolutionized the artform and introduced it to the possibilities of the modern age. Surrounded by the modern urban setting of New York, early tattooing borrowed its imagery from various popular culture sources as it expanded and became more sophisticated.

Early New York City tattooers like Bob Wicks, Charlie Wagner, and Bill Jones have left their lasting imprint of the artform both mechanically and artistically.

This page has been created as an introduction to the upcoming book "New York City Tattoo: The oral history of a forgotten past." It will be published in 1996 by Hardy Marks Publishing: Honolulu, HI 96835.

Send comments and questions to mmccabe123@aol.com.