A Kansas girl ran off to join the circus and changed the tattoo world

A 1907 photo made in Los Angeles, Calif., shows the constellation of tattoos on Maud Wagner's chest, shoulders and arms. The photograph is among the most downloaded tattoo-related image in the Library of Congress. Library Of Congress Prints And Photographs Division hide caption

The Old Glory Tattoo shop is in Derby, Kansas, a suburb of Wichita. That's where Ron Dolecek plies his trade. He says he'll never forget the day, almost two decades ago, when one of his customers came into his shop carrying something rolled up under his arm.

"He says, 'I think you're going to want to see this,'" Dolecek remembers.

The man unfurled a hand-painted sideshow banner showing a woman covered in tattoos, draped in gauzy fabric against a faded yellow background.

Dolecek says he was captivated. He thought he recognized the tattooed figure as Maud Stevens Wagner, a turn-of-the-century performer who became an icon of American tattooing.

"I'm instantly doing the math in my head, like; Who can I call? Where can I borrow money?" Dolecek says. "Because this is not leaving my shop."

The banner was painted years before to entice carnival visitors to see a sensational spectacle. For Dolecek, it was a tangible piece of history.

The customer told Dolecek he found it in an abandoned farmhouse near Cedar Point, Kansas, in the Flint Hills, while exploring with friends.