The Shaw family is one of the oldest and most famous tattoo families in the world. Bert Grimm, who founded the oldest tattoo studio in the world in Long Beach, California, was the Uncle of Bob Shaw, and one of the world's most famous tattooers.

Bob Shaw (Lil' Larry's grandfather), apprenticed under his Uncle Bert Grimm, and was an extremely influential figure in the tattoo world. Bob Shaw worked for decades to try to make tattooing safe for all patrons, and he developed and helped pass the standards for sterilization that are still used today. At the time of his passing in 1993, Bob Shaw was president of the National Tattoo Association, and was also the third inductee into the Tattoo Hall of Fame. He is also the namesake of the "Bob Shaw Award", formerly  the "Golden Age Award", that is given to artists who have been tattooing for 50 years or more. 

Bob Shaw's son, Larry Shaw (Lil' Larry's dad), is the founder of Shaw's Tattoo Studio in Houston. The studio, founded in 1979, was Houston's first licensed tattoo studio, and is still in it's original location on the corner of Westheimer and Dunlavy. The elder Larry Shaw still tattoos at the shop, and Lil' Larry apprenticed under his father for 5 years before beginning to tattoo professionally. Lil' Larry has experience in all types of tattoos, everything from traditional to japanese to standard flash.

Please click on the link below for Shaw's Tattoo Studio to learn more about the Shaw family history and the Houston shop.