Real photo postcard classic studio portrait of heavily tattooed Astoria Ginbbons seated and facing the camera. Anna Mae Burlingston aka“Astoria” Gibbons took the stage name Artoria Gibbons after marrying tattooist Charles “Red” Gibbons. She worked for decades as a tattooed‑lady attraction with shows including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Hagenbeck–Wallace, and various carnival sideshows. Unmarked with no photographer’s imprint visible. Divided back postcard format on the reverse.


Astoria sits on a draped platform with one knee raised, wearing a light-colored garment and an ornate headpiece that reads as a halo-like frame. Her dense tattoo coverage is visible across both arms, chest (including President George Washington portrait framed by American flags), and legs, with floral and figurative elements filling the skin. Her hair is styled in waves, and she looks directly toward the lens. The set is simple, with a plain backdrop and soft, even lighting that brings out the contrast between the tattoos and the light fabric. On the reverse, the printed POST CARD design includes separate correspondence and address areas and a stamp box, and the card carries a handwritten address identifying “Astoria.”


The front bears the printed text: Photo credit Empire. Handwritten inscriptions read: Astoria Gibbons; Los Angeles, Calif..