Residents of Boston are marking the first anniversary of the double bombing that struck the city's marathon on April 15, 2013, killing three people and wounding at least 260. Over the past year, photographer Chris Padgett noticed a growing number of Bostonians who commemorated the tragedy with tattoos showing their pride in their city. The trend gained momentum as some tattoo parlors offered to donate the proceeds from Boston-themed tattoos to an aid fund for the bombing victims. Padgett started a photo project called "Bled for Boston" to document, in his words, "the people who dedicated permanent space on their bodies as memorials to their city, first-responders, and the people who lost their lives at the Marathon.”
"Bled for Boston": Remembering The Boston Marathon Bombings
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Patrick Neil’s tattoo depicts the view of Boston he remembers from childhood.
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Patrick Neil
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The tattoo on Kate’s arm is based on a photograph she took of the Charles River, where she enjoys kayaking.
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Kate, whose arm bears her tribute to Boston
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Paul’s tattoo, with a claw from a local lobster, shows off the Bostonian sense of humor.
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Stephanie and Paul
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Rachel and several other nurses from the Lowell General Hospital received matching tattoos. They all offered medical help at the finish line in the aftermath of the marathon bombing.
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Nurses who helped the victims in the wake of the bombing
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Heather wears a subtle reminder of home.
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Heather, a medical student
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Rich "Sully" Sullivan, a pub owner in a suburb of Boston, wears a bicep tattoo depicting the Boston bombings. Another arm tattoo depicts the September 11th attacks on New York City, his home town.
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Rich "Sully" Sullivan
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Sarah-Jean Greaves' tattoo of Boston, based on artwork by a friend
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Sarah-Jean "SJ" Greaves
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Jennifer was in a restaurant with her daughter, Christiana, and her dog, Sammy, when the blast happened right out front. Christiana received a tattoo with a quote from Barack Obama's speech in Boston following the tragedy first. Her mother soon got a matching tattoo.
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Christiana, Jennifer, and Sammy