When you think of American tattoos, what comes to mind? Sexy, vintage pin-up girls, the American flag, eagles, anchors, and Native American symbolism? The images run the gamut, and encompass everything Americana, from the kitschy to the glam, these are amazing, classical pieces.
The names most associated with traditional American tattoos are Cap Coleman and Franklin Paul Rogers, and they are considered the founding fathers of American tattoos, and much of what is known of this unique style can be traced to them. Coleman actually mentored Rogers, so the association between the two is evident and obvious. If you can imagine what a classic American tattoo looks like, chances are it’s one of Coleman’s pieces that you’ll think of!
Traditional American Tattoos are part of US history, and contrary to the current tattoo movement where more than half the population has one, back in the day tattoos were serious stuff, and only the most hardcore people had them. Generally in those days, they were reserved for those in the military, criminals, and circus performers. Simply only for the folks daring enough to bear them, and usually they were part of their personal stories and were wrought with meaning. They were visual icons of a counterculture, and these tattoos were very much intertwined with the identity of the people who got them.
Pretty much every kind of American symbolism is encapsulated in these tattoos, and there really is no better way to celebrate what you love about the “Land of Free” in tattoo form. There is nothing cooler than celebrating your American heritage than with an American traditional tattoo! You don’t even have to be American to appreciate them!
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