La Belle Irene

A post in celebration of Women’s History Month.

Irene Woodward (1862-1915) was New York’s second tattooed lady, having launched her career a scant few weeks after the first, Nora Hildebrandt. Her niche, reinforced by her billing as La Belle Irene, was that she was not only covered in artwork but fair to look at as well. Inspired by Captain Constentenus, she worked at Bunnell’s Museum in New York, then across Europe and with various American circuses.