A talk by Dr Ashleigh Black, Archive Assistant, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives
Among the remarkable records held by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Archives are the Perth Prison Register and the Register of Returned Convicts. Vivid descriptions of each inmates’ physiological characteristics were recorded including scars, distinguishing marks, and their tattoos. The working class of the Victorian period were too poor to afford jewellery so, tattoos were the next best thing. All you needed was a little gunpowder and a needle! The history of tattooing is ancient, transcending time and cultures. With an in depth insight into some of nineteenth-century Aberdeen’s most notorious criminals, this talk will take a closer look at their lives and the different meaning we can understand from their unique tattoos.
