Give me your tired, your poor, and your tattooed masses.
The Statue of Liberty has long been a symbol of freedom and the American dream, but it's also been an attractive tattoo choice for a surprising number of ink addicts.
“It started with us wanting something that focused on New York City's tattoo culture,” said Dave Herman, founder of City Reliquary in Williamsburg. The facility is currently hosting the first exhibit dedicated solely to the statue's tattoo history.
“For some, she's a true symbol of New York City, and for others, she's a symbol of America, a symbol of freedom,” said Herman, who has a Statue of Liberty tattoo on his forearm. told The News. post.
“Tattooed Lady Liberty: The Great Bartholdi in Tattoos,” on display until January at the small nonprofit museum, features works never before seen by the public, paying homage to the famous gift. Contains dozens of antique tattoo flash drawings, vintage photos. From France.
The exhibit represents private collections from across the country, from Ohio to Pennsylvania to St. Louis to California, exhibition curator and tattoo artist Michelle Miles told the Post.
Although tattoos became legal in the Big Apple in 1997, Miles, co-owner of Daredevil Tattoo Shop + Museum, said that as long as the Statue of Liberty was in New York Harbor, enthusiasts would continue to admire the Statue of Liberty. It is said that he has obtained a permanent statue.
Miles said he just got Herman's statue tattoo updated with color a few weeks ago.
People who get Statue of Liberty tattoos are “more likely not to be from New York than to be from New York, and that's the keepsake they want,” the museum founder said. “Her global presence has endured for more than 100 years.
“Since doing this show, people are more motivated to make choices and want to get their own souvenirs,” Miles added.
The exhibit also features flashes of Miles herself, including the pin-up-style “Statue of Liberty” tattoo she inked on her now husband after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Other unique exhibits include a 120-year-old sailor's hand poke tattoo kit, giant flash tattoo stencils, and industry legends from Bert Grimm to Dainty Dottie to Lou Normand.
“[Lady Liberty] “He's a very allegorical figure that can be interpreted in so many different ways,” Herman said. “She is an ideal and something we can always strive for, but it is also a reminder that we must continue to fight for it.”
Herman's City Reliquary began more than 20 years ago as a window display in his old apartment and eventually moved to its current location in 2006. The permanent collection features everything from dozens of Statue of Liberty figurines to New York City World's Fair antiques and vintage traffic signs. .
“Galleries are a narrow group of exhibitors for framing work,” Herman says. “That was our goal as a museum: to make each audience accessible to a broader audience.”
Before the tattooed lady “Statue of Liberty” closes its doors to the public for good, the City Reliquary will honor the Statue of Liberty as part of New York City's secular “All Saints Day” celebrations on November 1st. We are planning to hold a costume contest. Contestants will be judged based on costume and content. The personalities will be determined by a panel of judges led by Bernie Wagenblast, the iconic voice of the New York City subways.
The exhibition party will also serve as a book launch for Miles and Herman, who will be releasing an exhibition catalog for Liberty the Tattooed Lady to preserve the tradition of tattooing long after the exhibition closes. .
“For us at Urban Relics, what we want to do with every special exhibit is find something that on the surface seems very obvious or mainstream to most people, and then uncover aspects of it that they don't even know about. “It existed,” Herman said.
“This is because most people believe that they are part of tattoo culture, either because they may have one themselves or because they have seen someone with one on the train. There's a complete proof that you just think you understand. Here's a little more clarification.”
