Mit65jGxOJ1rmbp2po1_500.jpg (423×750) Brian Decker of Pure Body Arts. MgkrpeW4LA1rd3el9o1_500.jpg (500×333) Todd Townsend in Hollywood, CA. Mhw7qaZZvE1qaj3fqo1_500.jpg (500×375) MgfvkoiKn31rahf4no1_500.jpg (500×500) Mc1q1404QM1r9pkpho1_400.jpg (385×500) Dani, bueno vista tattoo club, wurzburg, germany. Mfushre7HK1qjvc1go1_500.jpg (487×730)
David allen, chicago. 3739593590192823151.jpeg (558×744) Md1bex4PbY1qg4o1do1_500.jpg (500×750) Paint brush. Dotwork Damian at Blue Dragon Tattoo, Brighton. Knuckles. Hands. White dotwork. Flame inspiration. Neck blackwork. Florian Karg. Hearts. First chance I've had to see my coworkers new UV tattoo. Blackwork. 3D. Unlocking The Mysteries Of The Tattoos Of The Dead. Gemma Angel is an expert on tattoos. Except, she doesn't know who the ones she studies belongs to, or really why - because they are the last remains of people who died over a century ago. Angel is the PHD student chosen by University College London and the Science Museum to unravel the mysteries behind a macabre collection of tattooed human skins acquired by the Wellcome Collection, a London museum specialising in medical artefacts, 80 years ago.
All nameless, nobody knows who once sported these tattoos, or, more troublesomely, why they were cut off their bodies and how they were preserved in the first place. We caught up with Angel to find out a little more, and she took us through her favourites of the 300 specimens, which you can learn about in the gallery below. What are people’s reactions when you tell them what you do? Most of the time people think it’s really interesting, they don’t expect this kind of thing to even be out there. Do you have a favourite? The chest piece. Absolutely. El Valiente. Symmetry. Brocade. Underneath. White Ink. Silhouette. Back blackwork. John Maxx. This doesn't compare to the feel of your skin. La Grande Aventure.