Remember When Barber Shops Looked Like This?

Scenes like these are fading from American memory.

It’s not just the prices that have changed, but also the styles. Used to be each barber had some “standard” haircuts he had perfected and you would choose amongst the popular styles of the day. A man could also get a shave with a straight razor (with a hot towel and bay rum to make him feel extra special). While there are still a few barbershops that operate this way, a lot of the old-fashioned ways are fading as salons now usually cater to both men and women.

Timber Lake, South Dakota, 1942. Via/ Library of Congress
Navy barber, Guadacanal camp, 1943. Via/ Flickr
Tallahassee, Florida, 1957. Via/ State Archives of Florida
Tallahassee, Florida, 1960. Via/ State Archives of Florida
Rockport, Massachusetts, 1973. Via/ U.S. National Archives
Shear Brothers Barber Shop, Ogden, Utah, 1980. Via/ Library of Congress

Click “Next Page” for a look a vintage beauty parlors (and those iconic hair dryers)!

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