Do names like Nora Hildebrant, Irene Woodward, and Betty Broadbent ring any bells? Well, if you're a fan of tattoo models they definitely should! These three women are considered to be pioneers of tattoo modeling, an industry that has evolved from sideshows and burlesque clubs to what we know today. Long before SuicideGirls and Inked Magazine had forged our impressions of what a tattooed woman should look like, the early framework of tattoo modeling was beginning to form and so began a brand of modeling that put inked women on a pedestal for men to admire. For almost one hundred years, tattooed women have been synonymous with sex appeal and their bodies have been appreciated, not only for their ink but for their overall beauty. But the question that people seldom discuss is the role that body image plays in tattoo modeling. Because we all have a clear understanding of the role that body image plays in conventional fashion modeling, which is shown to be linked to eating disorders and body dismorphia—but what about tattoo modeling? It's about time that we got to the bottom of this and opened up the conversation for discussion.
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