Sutherland Macdonald (1860–1942) was a prominent English tattoo artist in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and the first tattooist in Britain with an identifiable premises open to the public. Operating in a salon in London's Jermyn Street, he is listed in the 1894 London Post Office Directory. He is considered the first person to offer a professional tattoo service in London, although the practice was already popular in Japan and the Middle East prior to that time. He was said to have tattooed kings and princes, including George V when he was Duke of York.

Life and career
Sutherland Macdonald was born in Boundary Terrace, Leeds on 25 June 1860. He served in the British Army in the 1870s as a telegraph operator in the Royal Engineers and was in the Anglo-Zulu War.

In addition to artistic designs, he also performed color blending on skin grafts of accident victims.

He died on 18 June 1942 at his home on 3 Guilford Avenue, Surbiton, and is buried at Surbiton Cemetery.

Legacy
On 29 January 2016, the Museum of London opened a display which included some of his work called Tattoo London.

See also
 George Burchett
 Tom Riley

References

1860 births
1942 deaths
British Army personnel of the Anglo-Zulu War
British tattoo artists
Artists from Leeds
People from Surbiton
Royal Engineers soldiers
Military personnel from Leeds
19th-century British Army personnel