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 onChurch 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!
10 comments:
Paige Kelly used to tell me about "Barber Surgeons" who not only provided haircuts,but also did dental work.That was many moons ago,as late as the beginning of the 20th century,but a reality.They did basic tooth extractions even more recently than that.
You can get a shave at Gomez's. George getting too old and doesn't know what he's talking about. Maybe if he left his house instead of living in the past he would know that Salisbury has plenty of barber shops.
My memories are of Reds Martin's barber shop next to the pool hall. That is where Paige Kelly worked and finally took over the shop after Reds retired. The rumor was that Reds was talking and using his hands to express what he was saying, and the scissors he was holding in his hand accidentally hit his eye and blinded Reds in one eye.
Haircut and straight razor shave in Cuba is $1.00 at most places.
2:20. Your memories are exactly the same as I remember. Thank you for sending in your comment.
Note to Fred Urlman, 10:14: Wake up, young fella. George is no longer with us. Joe is doing re-runs of past stories because we all loved George so much. By the way, just WHERE ARE all these barber shops??
I had numerous barber shops I went to until I was 18 and had long hair ( and had to pay for it myself). A girlfriend I had in high school got her license to cut hair. Now 41 years later, she still cuts my hair (not my girl friend anymore of course). No one but her has cut it, except 3 times. When she had her son, and her knee replaced. Not bad, 41 years with the same person. Plus I lived in Washington for 12 of those years and got it cut here when I was visiting here. Prices....paid as low as 75 cents and now it's $25.00! So it's real short and like once every 6 weeks.
In the 60's and 70's my dad went to Bill Bradley on Old Ocean City Rd. There was a lot of discussion about horse racing there.
The magazines in the Barber Shop were always the best ! Field and Stream, Boys Life, National Geographic. It's funny too between all the man chit chat YUP and NOPE a good barber could drawl out good gossip to the amusement of those waiting and when that guy left and you took to chair and the stories would pick up. Oh the Lilac Vegetal, Proraso, and Pinuad Clubman Talcs and after shaves and duct taped up old art deco chairs. Men's barbers have made a Hipster come back but it's not the same. Everyone sitting in silence fiddling with their phones or staring in silence at a TV. Few 80 year old and 4 year old's in the same room and you use to just get the hair cut the barber gave you and now there are a lot of particular instructions and concerns and mirror gazing. Yes times have changed.
Hardware Stores use to be fun too LOL.
Hey don't forget ben and larry's near super giant.
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