Tattoo Museum Opens On Staten Island

Tattoo Museum Opens On Staten Island
October 22, 2010
NY`1

Forget Museum Mile in Manhattan, the latest place to see an art exhibit is on Staten Island.

The state's first and only Tattoo Museum celebrated its grand opening.

Island Tattoo in Grasmere is dedicating the top floor of its shop to showing off the ancient form of body art.

Along with an extensive collection of tattoo tools, the museum also has life-sized mannequins, and interactive displays.

Dozer, he owner of Island Tattoo's owner, said one of the country's most brilliant minds invented the first tattoo ink machine.

"Tattooing is actually very important to New York City. Due to the nature that the first electric tattoo machine was born here, the first machine was invented by Thomas Edison," said Dozer. "Then the patent ran out and Samuel O'Reilly picked up the patent. He made a few adjustments and hence the first electric tattoo machine was born -- and in New York."

Tattoo art can be traced back to ancient Japan and the Polynesian Islands. Seen as status symbols, tattoo made their way west first to Europe before arriving in the United States.