Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo
Philadelphia Eddie's 621 is one of the oldest tattoo shops in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Eddie began tattooing in the 1950's in Coney Island, NY. In the 1970's he moved to Philadelphia and opened a number of shops. He has since retired and his legacy is continued by a number of other artists.
Tattoo is a Polynesian word which was introduced into the English language in the 18th century. Tattooing has been practiced for centuries in numerous cultures throughout the world; Berbers of North Africa, Maori on New Zealand, Atalay people of Taiwan, Arabic people of East Turkey, Japanese, pre-Christian Germanic and Celtic tribes and Polynesians practiced tattooing. In many cultures, tattoos served as a rite of passage and continue to do so. Today, tattoos are worn for cosmetic, expression and identification purposes. In the West, tattoos have become mainstream since the 1990's, with an estimated 36% of Americans, 18-40, having tattoos.
In Judaism and Sunni Islam, tattoos are forbidden, and in Christianity there is no consistent view, provided that the tattoo is not "sacrilegious, blasphemous, or obscene". Traditionally, in the West, tattoos were associated with criminality, but that image is quickly fading as the practice becomes more mainstream.
Song of the Day: Christian Woman - Type O Negative (1993)
