47

(Oakland, ca. 1945)

Traditional American Tattoo Designs by "Brooklyn Joe" Lieber

Hand-painted tattoo flash by "Brooklyn Joe" J. Lieber (1888-1953), Oakland, California, ca. 1940. Featuring cartoon sailors, cherries, sweethearts, and other traditional designs. Signed "J.J. Lieber" bottom right and "L. W. Duffy" bottom left. Ink and watercolor on paper. Professionally framed with UV-protective glass. Verso with exhibition label from the Hammond Museum (2016).

Lawrence Walter Duff (b. 1897) was a contemporary California tattoo artist who worked from some of Lieber's flash, probably after his death in 1953.

"Brooklyn Joe" Lieber was a pioneering tattoo artist who began his career in New York before establishing himself on the West Coast, working in San Francisco, Oakland, and Alameda. Recognized as one of the leading tattooists of his time, his bold flash and technical mastery deeply influenced his peers and helped shape the visual language of West Coast tattooing. His work left a lasting legacy, most notably inspiring the style and development of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins.

Provenance: Collection of Tom Christopher; from tattoo artist Jim "Jimbo" LaPorte, who acquired it in the early 1970s, when he took ownership of the Long Beach Tattoo Studio on the Pike.

Exhibited in "Of Pirates, Mermaids and True Love: 100 Years of Tattoo Flash," Hammond Museum, 2016

Literature: Illustrated in Jim "Jimbo" LaPorte, Classic Tattoos by Brooklyn Joe Lieber (2008), p. 39.
10 1/2 x 16 in. (26.7 x 40.6 cm.), Frame: 14 x 19 3/4 in. (35.6 x 50.2 cm.)

  • Condition: Sheet is trimmed with water stains at top visible in photos.

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November 9, 2025 12:00 PM EST
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