Tradition holds that Edward “Dad” Liberty (1883-1957) purchased his first tattoo kit from Frank Howard’s mail-order supply house in the early years of the twentieth century. During the next fifty years, Ed Liberty—together with his sons Frank, Harold, and Ted—dominated the Boston tattoo trade until the state of Massachusetts banned tattooing in 1962.
Over his long, successful tattooing career, Ed Liberty made a living for his family through blunt enterprise, adaptability, and a willingness to skirt the edges of middle-class social norms.
Ed took on the tattoo moniker “Dad” Liberty as his sons joined him in Scollay Square.
Eustis Estate