A Kansas girl ran off to join the circus and changed the tattoo world
The discovery of historical tattoo memorabilia in a Kansas farmhouse has shed new light on the life of Maud Stevens Wagner, a pioneering female tattoo artist. The find includes rare sideshow banners and tools that document her role as an icon in early American tattooing.
Why it matters
It preserves a unique piece of American cultural history and highlights the contributions of women in non-traditional roles at the turn of the century.
The Old Glory Tattoo shop is in Derby, Kansas, a suburb of Wichita. That's where Ron Dolecek plies his trade. He says he'll never forget the day, almost two decades ago, when one of his customers came into his shop carrying something rolled up under his arm.
"He says, 'I think you're going to want to see this,'" Dolecek remembers.
The man unfurled a hand-painted sideshow banner showing a woman covered in tattoos, draped in gauzy fabric against a faded yellow background.
Dolecek says he was captivated. He thought he recognized the tattooed figure as Maud Stevens Wagner, a turn-of-the-century performer who became an icon of American tattooing.
"I'm instantly doing the math in my head, like; Who can I call? Where can I borrow money?" Dolecek says. "Because this is not leaving my shop."
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