Harry Lawson (1885-1950), also known by his birth name Hurtle Vivian Lawson, is regarded as a founding father of American Traditional tattooing. With a career spanning over 40 years, he worked on The Pike and in Long Beach at 25 Cedar Way and 17 Pacific Way from the mid-1940s until his death. Lawson was known for his strong principles, famously refusing to tattoo drunks or young people seeking hand tattoos, believing it would hinder their job prospects. Heavily tattooed himself, often with black, red, and blue designs, he had a colorful past working as a tattooed attraction in the circus before becoming a prominent artist.
