Nora Hildebrandt - the first tattooed lady, her fictional and real biography (5 photos)

Nowadays, you won’t surprise anyone with tattoos. Some have a couple of pictures on their body, but in inconspicuous or secluded places. And others turn their skin into an exotic canvas. But someone should have become a pioneer in this direction?





This character is considered such in official culture. Nora Hildebrandt became America's first professional tattooed lady. This happened thanks to my father. Martin Hildebrandt was America's first professional tattoo artist and tattooed soldiers during the Civil War. Nora served as a kind of canvas for her father to hone his craft.



Martin opened a salon in New York in 1846, and Nora was born sometime in the 1850s. The woman began performing in 1882. By that time she was covered in patterns from neck to toe. According to some sources, she had 365 tattoos.

During the 1890s, the exotic model toured primarily with Barnum and Bailey's circus. At first, the performances used a heartbreaking story, according to which she received the pictures on her body by force.





Nora appeared before the eyes of an astonished public, and the narrator said that the girl and her father were caught by the Indians and forcibly tattooed. The tattoos were applied daily for a whole year, tied to a tree. At some point, she even stated that Sitting Bull, the famous leader of the Lakota tribe, was involved in her torture.



The story Nora made up entertained the audience. But in the end, she abandoned the fake biography. And instead she told the audience the details of the work done by her father, showing off her own body to everyone.



As expected, the cute, unusual plump woman was wildly popular among men. But Nora's fame was short-lived, as another attractive tattooed woman appeared shortly after her. Irene Woodward quickly overshadowed Nora, and the further fate of the pioneer of the genre remained shrouded in mystery.