Betty Broadbent

Female, Person

1909 –

 Credit »
59

Who is Betty Broadbent?

Betty Broadbent also known as the “tattoo’d lady” was born on November 1, 1909 in Philadelphia. Broadbent’s interest in tattooing began at the early age of fourteen. It was then Broadbent met Jack Redcloud while working as a nanny in Atlantic City. Jack Redcloud first came in contact with Broadbent on the boardwalk of Philadelphia. He was covered in tattoos, which fascinated Broadbent. This fascination would lead Redcloud to introduce Betty Broadbent to his tattoo artist, Charlie Wagner. In 1927 Wagner, alongside several other tattoo artists, including: Tony Rhineagear, Joe Van Hart and Red Gibbons would tattoo a bodysuit of over 565 tattoos on Broadbent.

Charlie Wagner was friends with the circus man Clyde Ingalls. When Ingalls discovered Broadbent’s passion for tattooing, he offered her a position at the circus. In the same year, Broadbent began exhibiting her art with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. While working at the circus, Broadbent also trained as a steer rider who would perform with circus performer Tom Mix. Later in Broadbent’s career, she learned how to ride horses and mules.

Broadbent’s tattoos varied in theme. On Broadbent’s back she had a tattoo of the Madonna and child. The art on her lower limbs included a tattoo of Charles Lindbergh on her right leg and a tattoo of Pancho Villa on her left. One of Broadbent’s more famous tattoos took over six sittings, a spread eagle that stretched from one shoulder to the other. On May 3, of 1939 the New York Times would quote Broadbent stating, “It hurt something aweful, but it was was worth it.” In the same year, Broadbent began exhibiting her art with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus, while also appearing as a steer rider with Tom Mix. While working in a side show in 1939, Broadbent challenged the traditional views of beauty for women during the 1930‘s by participating in a beauty pageant at the World’s Fair.

We need you!

Help us build the largest biographies collection on the web!

Born
1909
Philadelphia

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

Use the citation below to add to a bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"Betty Broadbent." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/biography/betty-broadbent/m/0hqzgjz>.

Discuss this Betty Broadbent biography with the community:

0 Comments

    Browse Biographies.net