Carnivals and their sideshows are something of a relic now in our country. But there was a time when traveling carnivals would roll into small towns, featuring sideshow performers like the tattooed lady who performed nearly nude on stage, showing off their tattoed bodies.
Author Amelia Kelm Osterud has written a new book entitled The Tattooed Lady, the first ever history book about this small subculture. She’ll be at Green Apple Books on Thursday, April 14th to discuss the book and talk about its corageous subjects.
These women spun stories for captive audiences about abductions and forced tattooing at the hands of savages, but little has been shared of their onhealthy phentermine weight loss real lives. Though they spawned a cultural movement—almost a quarter of Americans now have tattoos—these women have largely faded into history.
The first book of its kind, The Tattooed Lady uncovers the true stories behind these women, bringing them out of the sideshow realm and into their working class realities. Combining thorough research with more than a hundred historical photos, this social history explores tattoo origins, women’s history, and circus lore.
The author is herself a tattooed, adacemic librarian who hails from Wisconsin. Stop by Green Apple Books on April 14th for a book signing and discussion of her new book.
Sarah B.