the city that leaves a mark

before atlantic city was a casino town, it was a stage. built on salt marshes and sand, the city began as a seaside escape for philadelphia’s sick and overworked. by the 1880s, the boardwalk had turned into something stranger, part sanatorium and part circus. people came to breathe clean air, but they stayed for the spectacle. there were diving horses, fortune tellers, glass-blowers, and human curiosities who made a living by being looked at. atlantic city has always rewarded performance.

the city became a meeting point for sailors, showgirls, and sideshow performers. its piers offered concerts, boxing matches, and freak shows in equal measure. tattooers found an easy fit there. the mix of transient crowds and exhibition culture made the boardwalk a natural home for ink long before it became mainstream.

tattoo history in atlantic city begins with betty broadbent. she was born in 1909 in florida and came to atlantic city as a teenager to work as a nanny. on the boardwalk she met jack red cloud, a tattoo artist who traveled the shore circuit in the 1920s. fascinated by his work, she received her first tattoos here and began collecting designs from artists along the east coast.

by 1927, broadbent had joined the ringling bros. and barnum & bailey circus as “the tattooed venus.” her body carried more than 350 designs, all done by american tattooers of the time. she became one of the first tattooed women to be recognized as both a performer and a public figure. her early connection to atlantic city places the boardwalk within the broader history of american tattooing, where sideshows and seaside culture met.

broadbent’s rise coincided with the golden age of the atlantic city boardwalk. amusement piers stretched into the ocean, offering boxing rings, orchestras, freak shows, and fortune tellers. tattooed performers were a fixture of that world. they blurred the line between exhibition and self-expression, selling postcards of themselves while working beside barkers and illusionists. photographs from the period show tattooers set up in tents near steel pier, attracting both soldiers on leave and couples on vacation.

through the middle of the twentieth century, tattooing remained a small trade but never disappeared. even as gambling and redevelopment reshaped the city, there were always tattooers working behind glass storefronts or in back rooms. many trained in philadelphia, which by the 1960s had become an east coast hub through artists like eddie funk. atlantic city artists often shared designs and machines across the river, keeping regional traditions alive.

the tattoo expo that fills the convention hall today is part of that same lineage. visiting artists from across the country gather a few blocks from where broadbent first saw red cloud at work. the machines hum, the air smells faintly of ink and salt water, and the cycle repeats. a century later, atlantic city is still a place that leaves a mark.

what to do in atlantic city

you’re here for the expo. here’s what else to do when you’re not living by the needle.

eat & drink

• tony’s baltimore grill — old pizza, red booths, cheap drinks. it’s been here forever. (YOU CAN BUY THE ZINE HERE)

• angeloni’s club madrid — italian, dark lighting, solid drinks, great music. (YOU CAN BUY THE ZINE HERE)

• the seed — brewery that doesnt feel like a brewery and the beer heals u.

• hayday coffee — soft mornings, local crowd, happy vibes, strong coffee.

• cardinal bistro — happy hour that feels like a secret. the broccoli is SO good.

see & wander

• the boardwalk — start in chelsea and walk north. it’s still the best view in town.

• bader field — empty runways, wind, space to think.

• gardner’s basin — fishing boats, dolphins, little shops, calm water.

• the beach — walk it at low tide. bring coffee or a little snack. DON'T litter. even cigs.

  
  

night

• anchor rock club — live shows, no bad nights.

• the irish pub — open late, cash only, never changes.

• wonder bar — locals, drinks, occasional chaos.

• the beach after midnight — always free, always honest.

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escape plans — wanna be dripped out and rep AC while supporting local? plus get even more great advice on what to do in this fab city? check out theescapeplans.com

like what you are reading?consider subscribing to my substack. https://substack.com/@thedivinghorse?

i’ll be at the atlantic city tattoo convention this weekend with union hall arts — come say hi, grab a zine, or just talk shop. Booth 57.

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