A respectable address
Sutherland Macdonald listed himself in the London directory as a 'tattooist' — reportedly the reason the word entered the dictionary — and worked from Hammam Baths on Jermyn Street from around 1894. His clientele included military officers and, it was widely reported, members of European royalty.
He patented his own electric tattoo machine in 1894 and was known for fine shading and colour blending unusual for the period.
Cosmetic work
Contemporary press described him tattooing a permanent blush into pale cheeks and colour into lips. The idea of tattooed makeup for the well-to-do is therefore well over a century old; what has changed is the fineness of the tools and the honesty about what is being done.
Why it matters now
The Edwardian episode is a useful reminder that 'permanent makeup' is not a modern gimmick, and that its early reputation problems came from crude equipment and secrecy, not the concept.
