Tattoos have come a long way from their sailor days.
Once upon a time, before every teen girl on spring break got a tramp stamp and every hipster had galaxies of stars and twee birds etched into his wrist, tattoos were for sailors. And scary guys. But especially sailors.
The Independence Seaport Museum is celebrating the fine art of old-school tattoos with Skin & Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor, which runs now through January 3, 2010.
The exhibit investigates the "beliefs, mysteries, traditions, and power of the tattoo in American maritime culture." You can check out traditional and modern tattooing tools, tattoo art and photographs and even a recreation of a retro tattoo parlor. There's also in-depth info on famous tattoo artists like Honolulu's Sailor Jerry and Philadelphia pro Sailor Eddie.
Admission to the museum is $12, but on Sundays from 10 a.m. to noon, it's pay-what-you-wish. You know, just in case you were saving up for some new ink.
