The story of tattoos is far older than the story of Oregon. The art form is so ubiquitous and ancient that it holds deep significance and connection between a wide variety of people, from military veterans to Indigenous communities to tattoo artists and to everyone who has tattoos.

Before settlers arrived in Oregon, tribal communities had diverse tattoo practices, which were widely suppressed by the introduction of so-called “Indian boarding schools.” These schools were part of a federal directive to forcefully assimilate Indigenous people.

However, the suppression of Indigenous tattoo practices failed. Today, Indigenous communities across the country are revitalizing those cultural practices.

In the 18th Century, tattoos became popular with sailors. After seeing the Indigenous tattoo practices in Tahiti, British sailors began hand-poking tattoos of their own.

Tattooing spread quickly from British to American sailors. By the late 18th century, around a third of British and a fifth of American sailors had at least one tattoo.

The style of these early American tattoos is often called “American traditional,” a style recognizable by its bold outlines and solid colors, commonly depicting ships, skulls, eagles, roses and hearts.

The style, which is still popular today, is often attributed to early tattoo artists who helped establish the craft. Oregon’s own Bert Grimm is one of those legendary artists.

Born in 1900, Grimm lived on Burnside in Portland, according to an interview in the Daily Astorian in 1979. He had an illustrious career that took him all over the world, but he returned to Portland to retire. The tattoo shop he opened in Portland is still open today.

In Oregon, more and more tattoo artists are getting licensed each year. According to data from the Oregon Health Authority, the number of tattoo licenses issued by the state has steadily increased year after year since 1996.

From 2019 to 2024, Oregon saw a 77% increase in the number of tattoo licenses at the state level.

The craft continues to grow and change.

The Oregon Health Authority is currently reviewing the required curriculum for tattoo artists through the Board of Electrologists and Body Art Practitioners and a committee made up of tattoo artists in the region. It’s officially called the Tattoo Course of Study Review Committee.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/19/oregon-tattoo-history-art-portland-bert-grimm-sea-tramp/