Julia Gnuse (guh-NOO-see) (January 18, 1955 - August 11, 2016), commonly known by the nickname The Illustrated Lady or The Irvine Walker, was an American woman who had 95% of her body (including her face) covered in tattoos[1] and held the Guinness Record for being the most tattooed woman in the world.[2] In her mid-30s, Gnuse developed porphyria, a condition in which sunlight results in blistering of the skin.[3] As the blisters often result in scarring, she began getting tattoos as a way to cover up the scars, which can get as deep as third degree burns.[4][5] A friend of Gnuse's who was a plastic surgeon had suggested she get her skin tattooed in a pale skin tone color, similar to the color of her scars. This was attempted but didn't turn out the way they had hoped.[5]
Julia Ann Gnuse | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 18, 1955 |
| Died | August 11, 2016 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | most tattooed woman in the world |
The tattoos did not prevent the skin from blistering[6] as they were purely aesthetic. Instead, she decided to try colorful tattoos, consisting of a variety of themes, including her favorite cartoons, her favorite actors and even a self-portrait.[citation needed] Gnuse appeared on the TV show Ripley's Believe it or Not!.[7] She also had a small role in Aerosmith's music video for their song "Pink".[8]
In her last year she started to go through laser treatment to get all of her tattoos removed.[9]
She lived in Foothill Ranch, California,[10] and died on August 11, 2016.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, LONDON. "Amazing facts about tattoos". Archived from the original on 2007-05-03. Retrieved 2007-05-16.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Mark, Michelle. "Shock value". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ^ "HuffPost Weird News - Strange-But-True Stories from the Headlines". Aolnews.com. Archived from the original on 2010-06-20. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
- ^ Inked: Tattoos and Body Art around the World By Margo DeMello.p. 225
- ^ a b Murphy, Victoria (2010-05-28). "Meet the most tattooed lady in the world". mirror. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
- ^ "Larry King Interviews Dean Cain". Larry King Live. Season 2. Episode 4. January 3, 2002. CNN. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
- ^ Chick Ink: 40 Stories of Tattoos--And the Women Who Wear Them By Karen L. Hudson. p. 109
- ^ Orange Coast Magazine May 1999. p. 28
- ^ Tattoo Removal: Before and After Before and After - Tattoo Removal
- ^ Orange Coast Magazine May 1999. p. 28
- ^ Julia Ann Gnuse | nemonews.net