FRIDAY 07/24/26: Maud Wagner, the original tattooed lady of Kansas

Maud Wagner, one of the country’s first known female commercial tattoo artists, was born in Emporia, Kansas. She joined a sideshow act with her sister until a fateful meeting pushed her to pursue carnival stardom, inked from head to toe.Memorabilia from Wagner's career makes up a large body of this country’s early tattoo artifacts. From A People's History of Kansas City, KCUR’s Julie Denesha reports.Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.