Loud, Naked & In Three Colors: The History Of Tattooing In Boston

Historic New England explores an art form that was once banned in Boston, but today is seen as a creative mode of self-expression.

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 traces the popularization of tattooing in Boston through the stories and memorabilia of the city’s leading tattoo pioneers.

The exhibition features the work of Frank Howard and the Liberty family who dominated Boston’s tattoo scene from their shops in Scollay Square. Their stories reveal the complex and nonconformist tattoo culture and the people, businesses, and communities surrounding the tattoo trade.

Loud, Naked & in Three Colors: the History of Tattooing in Boston is at the Eustis Estate, 1424 Canton Avenue, Milton, Mass. The Eustis Estate is open from Friday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The grounds are open from dawn to dusk. The exhibition is on view from June 10 to October 30, 2022.