The people aren’t here anymore, but that doesn’t mean they can’t show off their tatts.
The largest selection of preserved tattoos is from London's Wellcome Collection.
A tattoo on a piece of human skin showing a male bust and a flower stem.
Wellcome Library, London
There are over 300 individual pieces of skin, collected in the late 19th century.
A nude female, a pot of flowers and some guy.
Wellcome Library, London
They were preserved by slicing the tattoo off the body, scraping the connective tissue off the back, and then pinning the skin to dry.
A lady, possibly a girlfriend, surrounded by a garland of flowers.
Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images
As it dried, the skin would shrink away from the pins, creating a scooped effect around the edges.
A Greek-style bust of an Emperor and some writing.
Science Museum, London. Wellcome Images.
