Skin Deep

'George Burchett at work in his tattoo studio, c. 1950
By the 20th century, tattoos were an integral part of life in the Navy. Sailors were tattooed at parlours in ports around the world as souvenirs of their travels. Some were also tattooed with patriotic or erotic symbols on board ship by fellow sailors, who had become connoisseurs of the custom. Particular tattoo designs and their location on the body were often associated with naval superstitions or meanings. A turtle tattoo meant that a sailor had crossed the equator. A pig and a rooster tattooed on the feet would protect a sailor from drowning by guiding him quickly to shore. The practice of tattooing, and its associated meanings, remain current in the Navy today

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