Today it seems like every person you see on the street is inked up, but there was a time when that wasn’t the case. They used to be the domain of mainly sailors and gang members. 

The 1970s were the beginning of the turning point, though. Punks, hippies, and other counterculture groups began to embrace tattoos, using them as symbols of rebellion.

Recognition of the craft involved in tattooing began to spread, along with admiration of the artistry. Tattooing was still very underground, but the culture had shifted, and it all started in the 1970s. Take a look at this gallery of some of the iconic and influential traditional tattoo art of the 70s by some of the legends of the scene.