![[narrator] Sailor tattoo imagery commonly included initials](https://clip.cafe/img800/narrator-sailor-tattoo-imagery-commonly-included-initials.jpg)
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[narrator] Sailor tattoo imagery
commonly included initials, nautical themes, and patriotic symbols. Design options were laid out in sheets,
called flash, and picked off the wall. Like tribal tattoos, these marked
your identity as a seaman, as well as your achievements at sea,
like the swallow. Sailors earned a swallow
for every 5,000 nautical miles sailed, which, back then,
was extremely difficult and dangerous. So a sailor with one or two swallows
was impressive. And you might have seen this one:
a tattoo of a rigged ship. Originally they had to be earned by rounding Cape Horn
off the southern coast of Chile. Sailors also have a long tradition
of collecting travel marks to show off the exotic places
they had visited. This is Palestine.
I was in Palestine from '37 to '39
commonly included initials, nautical themes, and patriotic symbols. Design options were laid out in sheets,
called flash, and picked off the wall. Like tribal tattoos, these marked
your identity as a seaman, as well as your achievements at sea,
like the swallow. Sailors earned a swallow
for every 5,000 nautical miles sailed, which, back then,
was extremely difficult and dangerous. So a sailor with one or two swallows
was impressive. And you might have seen this one:
a tattoo of a rigged ship. Originally they had to be earned by rounding Cape Horn
off the southern coast of Chile. Sailors also have a long tradition
of collecting travel marks to show off the exotic places
they had visited. This is Palestine.
I was in Palestine from '37 to '39
Full Transcript
00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:03.503
[narrator] Sailor tattoo imagery
commonly included initials,
00:00:03.586 --> 00:00:05.088
nautical themes, and patriotic symbols.
00:00:06.756 --> 00:00:11.026
Design options were laid out in sheets,
called flash, and picked off the wall.
00:00:12.022 --> 00:00:15.556
Like tribal tattoos, these marked
your identity as a seaman,
00:00:15.064 --> 00:00:19.268
as well as your achievements at sea,
like the swallow.
00:00:20.103 --> 00:00:23.481
Sailors earned a swallow
for every 5,000 nautical miles sailed,
00:00:23.564 --> 00:00:26.943
which, back then,
was extremely difficult and dangerous.
00:00:27.443 --> 00:00:30.279
So a sailor with one or two swallows
was impressive.
00:00:30.905 --> 00:00:33.095
And you might have seen this one:
a tattoo of a rigged ship.
00:00:34.001 --> 00:00:35.066
Originally they had to be earned
00:00:35.743 --> 00:00:38.538
by rounding Cape Horn
off the southern coast of Chile.
00:00:39.998 --> 00:00:41.916
Sailors also have a long tradition
of collecting travel marks
00:00:41.999 --> 00:00:44.127
to show off the exotic places
they had visited.
00:00:44.021 --> 00:00:47.588
This is Palestine.
I was in Palestine from '37 to '39.
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