The History of Barbershops

Do you know why barbershop poles are red and white? Let's dive in to some barbershop history! 

By Megan Lockhart, Archives Technician

The month of November has become known for its role as a month of awareness for men’s health. Awareness is raised through the growing of facial hair, and thus the term “Movember” is used when referring to the tradition. In honour of Movember, we have our online exhibit The History of Facial Hair: A County Warden Gallery. It was a fascinating topic to research; for the exhibit I had to dive into the history of facial hair styles and trends. The exhibit includes a gallery of historical Oxford County Wardens modeling over twenty mustache and beard styles as well as sections on facial hair culture and barbershops.

Barbershops have a long and interesting history. The earliest record of the existence of barbershops dates back to 295 BC during the Hellenistic Period in Greece. There were shops located in marketplace where Greek men could go to have their hair and beards trimmed. Much like the hair salons and barbershops today, it could also be a social setting. The Greek men would chat with other patrons or the barber and catch up on the latest news and gossip. The term “barber” comes from the Late Latin word “barbarius”, a derivative of “barba” meaning beard.

As time went on, the role of the local barber evolved. By the mid-1500s the skills of barbers were recognized by the medical profession. Due to the nature of their work, barbers were required to have advanced coordination of their fine motor skills, and to have working knowledge of razors, knives, and scissors. This led to the duties of a barber overlapping with medicine. By the 1600s, many barbers were now working as barber-surgeons or barber-dentists. Have you ever wondered why a barber pole is red and white? This is because barber-surgeons offered a bloodletting service. The red represents blood, the white represents bandages, and the pole itself represents the stick a patient would hold and squeeze to make their veins protrude in preparation for bloodletting. Barber-surgeons performed minor surgeries and applied leeches along with cutting hair and trimming beards. Barber-dentists offered teeth pulling services.

As medicine advanced and the role of physicians and surgeons became more specialized by the early and mid-1800s, barber-surgeons and barber-dentists became less common and the practice eventually ended. Barbers focused solely on cutting and styling hair from that point on. It may seem strange to visit your barber for a haircut and to have a tooth pulled, but this was a common practice for hundreds of years.

To learn more about the history of facial hair and barbershops visit the Archives’ online exhibit The History of Facial Hair: A County Warden Gallery.