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Saturday, March 04, 2017

LEGENDARY COMMENTS BY GEORGE CHEVALLIER


The Barber Shop

Now almost a thing of the past is that bastion of masculinity – the barber shop. In 1899, there were six barber shops listed in the City Directory. That figure increased to nine in 1907, but was reduced to eight in 1921. In the following years the number of listed barber shops rose to 17 in 1940 and dropped down to seven in 1961. The current yellow pages have no less than 68 listings under “barber shops”, most of which are out of Salisbury and listed as “salons” or “stylists”, certainly not barber shops.
         
The barber shop of bygone times offered shaves as well as haircuts. Many had a rack on the wall that kept individual mugs of shaving cream for the various customers. A shave from a barber cannot be had today, due to the current health laws. They have had to add certain amenities to their product line that may include a hair washing or “facial” just to make ends meet.
         
Every man has memories of his first trip to the barber shop. Mine were of Johnnie’s down on Church Street near what is now Route 13. I think he had another shop farther east on Church Street on the corner of Railroad Avenue. My mother told me this, but I don’t remember it being there. He then moved west on Church Street in a long narrow shop. There were chairs on either side leading up to the single barber chair manned by Johnnie Adkins. He also had a fake parrot in a cage that always fascinated me. He then moved to a house just a couple of addresses west. The one farther west on Church Street is still visible and the stone addition on the front of a white frame house is all that remains of Johnnie Adkins barber shop. Somewhere during this period, my mother entrusted me alone in the barber shop. She would walk down Church Street to Kelly’s Drug Store and wait for me there, which I always looked forward to because it meant a “soda fountain” soda.
         
I grew up in the “crew-cut” era and always had a stick of the red goop that made your hair stand up in front. I think they called it butch wax. The barber shop of choice was Krause & Taylor’s on N. Division Street. The price of a good butch cut went from 25 to 50 cents during this era. Of course, there was always the barber school located on S. Division Street. They charged 35 cents for a so-so haircut.
         
When longer hair became the style men, the local barber shops offered “hair-styling” for about seven dollars. I worked on the Plaza for Ralph & Gaskill at the time and all the young people on Main Street knew each other. It seemed that what barbers liked to refer to as styling, the beauty parlor at Benjamin’s considered a short cut. Since it was only three dollars, I never felt any embarrassment going there.
         
Another thing that has disappeared through the years is the Daisy & Bozman Barber Supply Store. They used to make their own after shave and my favorite was something called Bonita Bouquet. It only cost two dollars for a 16 ounce bottle. It also worked in your cigarette lighter and gave off a wonderful aroma. Ah, memories!

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice article George. I remember Red's Barber Shop (Reds Martin shop was near the old pool hall on Baptist St.). Reds used to keep a box of tootsie roll pops on a top shelf for good boys after their haircut. The shop offered shoe shines with a climb up shoe shine stand. Also, the shop had a great barber named Page Kelley who smoked a lot of Salem cigarettes. Kelley bought the shop when Reds retired and operated it as Kelley's Barber shop until it closed in 1998.

Anonymous said...

George , when the shops went , Mary Ann started cutting my hair 35 years ago. Then I found a barber in Hebron a year ago , he still has the barber pole and it is refressing . Most conversations consists of hunting , fishing and hunting again.

Anonymous said...

Kelley's Drug Store was with a ey not ly.

Unknown said...

My grandfather Bill Bradley had the Barber Shop on the corner of Moss Hill Ln and Old O.C. Rd from the early 50's until the year 2000. Many days sitting there watching people come in and get their hair cut and telling old man jokes. What fun times in this area. Seen a lot of people in that barber shop every two weeks for a haircut whether they needed it or not. My grandfather also had a barber shop downtown in the old hotel at one time. There was also a Tastee Freeze across the street for those of you who remember.

Anonymous said...

I have memories of my father taking me to Hamills (spelling?) on Eastern Shore Dr. That was a good place with good people. I now frequent Eric's Downtown Barber Shop and it's awesome! You can get a $20 haircut for $12, plus he even has entertainment while you wait. Not to mention the good ol' fashioned conversations. If you have never been there it is really worth checking out.

George Chevallier said...

To 10:12
Thanks for the correct spelling. Every reference I looked into had it listed as the Church St. Phammacy. It was actually opened by White & Leonard as White & Leonard #2. I always appreciate any corrections anyone can make. I will make th ecorrection in my Word file. Thanks, again.

Anonymous said...

George, glad your back with us!

Anonymous said...

I remember Bill Bradley,and Wayne, as I lived on Mt Vernon Ave. I also remember George at R&G downtown.BTW, the origin of the barber pole is from the Cival War era. Know why?

Anonymous said...

In the 1940's when I was a kid, our barber was a very friendly and entertaining gentleman by the name of Bill Dryden. Mr. Dryden was a Morton Salt salesman by day and a barber by night and on Saturdays. His shop was very small and was on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and S. Division Street. Does anyone else remember him?

EL

Anonymous said...

I love that Eric the barber, a very retro place, is open downtown. Reasonable pricing, people sitting in chairs like in the old days chatting while they wait. Very nice.

Bunk Mann said...

I went to Kraus and Taylor from the time I was 5 years old until I went away to college. There were four barbers and they joked and picked on each other and their customers the whole time. The barbers names were Dutch Kraus, Bill Taylor, and two other guys nicknamed Spot and Huckleberry.It was a great place for a kid to get a haircut because they always had the latest Superman or Batman comicbook as well as the first Marvel comics I ever remember reading.It was located where the government office building is today.

Anonymous said...

The Hebron barber shop is still one of the real barbers. You can go in there get a hair cut, a beard trim, A good conversation and buy your fishing gear or get your watch batteries changed and he will repair your norelco razors. He even sells the old shaving soap and brushes.

The Hebronite

genie said...

Memories are better than gold. Continue to share good memories with the Shore People. We do have excellent history on the shore that can be passed onto future generations

Anonymous said...

I went to Bill Bradley's as well. Every other Saturday with my dad. Alot of the talk was about the Orioles and the Colts. Lots of talking about horse racing. As I remember Bill liked the horses.

Anonymous said...

We love Eric's place too! I took my son there for his first haircut and we have been going back ever since. My 2 year old can be funny about people and haircuts can be scary for little kids but he LOVES Eric, he sits in the chair all by himself. Great place!

Unknown said...

Ben & Larry's has been in the Giant shopping center for years. Even though Ben died some years ago Larry still cuts hair. Also Pete Tippet still cuts hair on MT Hermon rd. He's been around for many years too. I remember when he was in the old mall next to the movie theater. Both good guys. :)

Anonymous said...

Pete Tippet became a skilled barber while he wasn't serving as someone's girlfriend in prison! I wouldn't be caught in his shop!

Anonymous said...

All of you live in the past because the present and future here are bleak at best.

Anonymous said...

Ben & Larry's is closed. Larry may be cutting hair at his home for select customers. This is what he said he was going to do.