Samuel F. O’Reilly (May 1854 - 29 April 1909) was an American

tattoo artist A tattoo artist (also tattooer or tattooist) is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a "tattoo shop", "tattoo studio" or "tattoo parlour". Tattoo artists usually learn their craft via an ...

from New York, who patented the first electric

tattoo machine A tattoo machine is a hand-held device generally used to create a tattoo, a permanent marking of the skin with indelible ink. Modern tattoo machines use electromagnetic coils to move an armature bar up and down. Connected to the armature bar is a ...

on December 8, 1891.

Biography

O’Reilly was born in Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut to Irish immigrants Thomas O’Reilly and Mary Ann Hurley in May 1854. He began tattooing in New York around the mid-1880s, probably mentored by

Martin Hildebrandt Martin Hildebrandt (1825–1890) was an early American tattoo artist, nicknamed "Old Martin". Military service Hildebrandt immigrated to the United States from Germany. He enlisted in the United States Navy and served aboard the USS ''Unite ...

. O'Reilly's machine was based on the rotary technology of

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...

's autographic printing pen. Although O'Reilly held the first patent for an electric tattoo machine, tattoo artists had been experimenting with and modifying a variety of different machines prior to the issuance of the patent. O'Reilly's first pre-patent tattoo machine was a modified dental plugger, which he used to tattoo several dime museum attractions for exhibition between the years 1889 and 1891. From the late 1880s on, tattoo machines continually evolved into the modern tattoo machine. O'Reilly first owned a shop at #5 Chatham Square on the New York Bowery. In 1904, he moved to #11 Chatham Square when the previous tenant, tattoo artist Elmer Getchell, left the city. Charles Wagner was allegedly apprenticed to O'Reilly and later assumed ownership of his #11 Chatham Square shop. On April 29, 1909, Samuel O'Reilly fell while painting his house and died. He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY.

References

19th-century American inventors People from Waterbury, Connecticut American tattoo artists 1908 deaths 1854 births American people of Irish descent Deaths from falls Accidental deaths in New York (state) Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn {{authority control