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CONGRESS OF THE ODD
BETTY BROADBENT – Tattooed Beauty
The beautiful Betty Broadbent was born in 1909 and during her childhood she was a rather innocent lass. She was rarely in trouble and was both trustworthy and kind. At the age of fourteen she was employed as a nanny in Atlantic City, New Jersey and took to wandering the boardwalk. It was there that she had a chance encounter with tattooist Jack Red Cloud and fell in love with the art form that would forevermore shape her life and future.
By 1927 Betty was well on her way to completing a tattoo body suit. Over 350 designs adorned her pinup model-like body, designs created and applied by notorious and revolutionary tattooists like Charlie Wagner, Joe Van Hart, Tony Rhineager and Red Gibbons.BETTY BROADBENT – Tattooed Beauty
Tattoos were not in vogue amongst women of the era. In fact, tattoos in generally were fairly rare outside of sailors and riffraff. It was even more unusual to find tattoos in such a high concentration on a single human being, never mind on a voluptuous and desirable female body fit for fantasy. While her body was nearly covered with ink, Betty’s beautiful face was completely untouched, as a result of this contrast Betty quickly drew a great deal of attention and opted to embark on a career of exhibition.
Betty’s first job was with Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus and almost instantly Betty fell in love with show business. Many women quickly grew tired of the rigorous carnival lifestyle. But Betty thrived in exhibition and she spent the next 40 years in and around the show business and circus scene. In fact, Betty flaunted her tattoos in every significant American, Australian and New Zealand circus the era had to offer. Betty was even a featured attraction at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
Betty retired from exhibition in 1967 and disappeared from the public eye for quite some time. She was rediscovered by tattoo enthusiast and historian Lyle Tuttle and it was revealed that she had retired to Florida where she became a tattoo artist herself. She spoke quite fondly of her role in tattoo history and her life as a living exhibit.
Betty Broadbent became the first person inducted into the Tattoo Hall of Fame in 1981.
She died in her sleep in 1983.
© 2008 – 2012, J Tithonus Pednaud. All rights reserved.
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RECOMMENDED READING
American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia
Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit
Sideshow U.S.A.: Freaks and the American Cultural Imagination
Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls
Pickled Punks & Girlie Shows: A Life Spent on the Midways of America
The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins
The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top
Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body
James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On & Off the Midway
THE AUTHOR
J Tithonus Pednaud has dedicated this site to highlighting the remarkable lives of those born exceedingly different. These so-called freaks and human oddities stand as uplifting testaments to human spirit and serve as inspiring examples of human tenacity.
20 Responses to “BETTY BROADBENT – Tattooed Beauty”
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I just want to let you know how much I really enjoy your site. I love learning about these awesome and interesting people. I check everyday and it is a very good day when there is a new post!
Thank you for your comments Paula.
I try to update the site at least bi-weekly, but do check back often as I often post when the mood strikes.
Great site.. I really enjoy reading about cases like this many you have here.
I wanted to make a sugestion. Maybe you could improve your post listing, so the person who reads your site finds it easy to know the posts you have posted earlier, a more “easy to find” menu..
Keep up your good work.
Do you suppose that Betty Broadbent was the inspiration for Groucho Marx’s “Lydia the Tatooed Lady”? Is there a catalog of what images were on her? Granted, I doubt that she “sat on Hitler”…
-e-
I love this website. Especially the traditional style of the writting, it’s like an old film or something! Keep it up!
i want to honor her with a small -or- large portion of body art is there any closer pics of her tattoos that can be transferred?
Natalie,
I’m afraid I don’t have any close up images of her specific tattoos. Perhaps it would be best to simply create a homage?
Great site, Good info
I just wanted to say that Betty Broadbent was Amazing and Beautiful! she was a very strong woman, and I admire her soo much!
Love Your Page…
awesome site
that was very inspiring!! i didnt even know that! im hoping to be a covered tattoo girl myself:) maybe one day i will:) congrates Betty! SALUTE! :)
Betty Broadbent was my neighbor when I was about 5 years of age. It is good to see she did so well, I lost track with her…..Thanks
A piece of living art; became the artist herself. Beautiful don’t you think?
She is absolutely stunning!
Great website. A lot of these stories are incredibly touching.
Unrelated, but nice to “meet” a fellow Torontonian!
I find it to be so amazing. I think she’s so beautiful and sooo motivational!!