If you are fascinated by tattoos or are just curious about the history of them, a program coming soon might peak your interest. A Kansas woman, who joined the circus and became one of America’s earliest female professional tattoo artists, is the topic of the Franklin County Historical Society’s August Program. Lisa Soller will present “Tattooed: The Tale of Maud Wagner” Sunday at 2:00 at the Ottawa Memorial Auditorium. Born in Emporia, Kansas in 1877, Maud Stevens left home at the age of 19 to join the circus. While working as an aerialist and contortionist at Louisiana Purchase Exposition, also known as the Saint Louis World’s Fair, she met and married Gus “The Globe Trotter” Wagner, a “most artistically marked up man” who would collect more that 800 tattoos during his lifetime. Soon covered in tattoos of her own, Maud Stevens Wagner became a professional female tattoo artist who traveled the country.
“Tattooed” will be presented by Lisa Soller, Deputy Director of the Lyon Country History Center in Emporia, Kansas. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Old Depot Museum.
