Loud, Naked & in Three Colors: the History of Tattooing in Boston

Loud, Naked, & in Three Colors: the History of Tattooing in Boston explores this phenomenon through a stunning selection of flash art, photography, and advertisements that paint a rich picture of this unique period in the history of tattooing. The exhibition, at Historic New England’s Eustis Estate in Milton, traces the popularization of tattooing in Boston through the stories and memorabilia of the city’s leading tattoo pioneers.

The exhibition, co-curated by Derin Bray and Margaret Hodges, features the work of Frank Howard and the Liberty family – Edward (Dad), Frank, Ted, and Harold (Lefty) – who dominated Boston’s tattoo scene from their shops in Scollay Square, the city’s gritty entertainment district. Their stories reveal the complex and nonconformist tattoo culture and the people, businesses, and communities surrounding the tattoo trade.