Saturday, January 17, 2009

Old Timey Barber Shop



Ok, this was a new one for me.  I suppose I've been in a barber shop before,  but I couldn't tell you when! Well I checked with my friend Doug about whether or not ladies would be welcome. He assured me that I would, so  I marched right into the Homewood Old Timey Barber Shop on the main drag in Homewood.  George and Butch couldn't have been nicer.  They kept right on clipping and snipping while I snapped away.  That's George featured today and those were Butch's hands with the razor on yesterday's post.  Oh, and I offered to link to their website but you guessed it.....they just laughed!  Thanks guys for allowing me to capture one of Homewood's oldest and best loved businesses.

What exactly is IN Barbicide?  I should have asked.

The Tune du Jour is "Where the Boys Are" of course!



Discover Connie Francis!

26 comments:

Wayne said...

Barbicide - to kill barbers?

My Granddad was a barber his whole life. As long as I can remember he had his own shop.

I remember the jar of Barbicide for sterilizing the combs and he had a brush just like the one in the photo for sweeping the clippings down your collar where they would drive you nuts until you could get home and change your shirt.

He had strops and straight razors which I had seen him use but gradually barbers didn't give shaves or if they did they used safety razors.

As kids the thing we thought was the most fun, apart from spinning in the barber chair and pumping it up and down, was a monstrous, electric vibrating thing he strapped on his hand to give scalp massages.

alice said...

I don't know anything about "barbicide", personally I prefer the wax ;-) but I love your shots, as usual!

Tash said...

Like the B&W for the first...gives even more of the old-time flavor.

Anonymous said...

Joe Hoke used to be our barber and he was a living story teller. The one I got now doesn't tell stories but listens to them. He also will come to your house and cut your hair which he did for me a couple of weeks ago.

Eki said...

i like the nostalgic atmosphere in this photo. the moment is decisive and expressive, V! Love it!

Tom said...

This post is ertainly a 'Cut above the rest'... :O)

Janet said...

Splendid! We have a Dixie Barber Shop here just like that! It's where my men (husband and sons!) get their hair cut. I may have to borrow this photo idea some time. I did not realize that barber shops were old timey these days! However, I know some men who have moved to big cities and cannot find a good barber, so they still return to Selma every few weeks for a haircut!

alice said...

I forgot to ask: is it your fireplace? I love the fireguard!

Unknown said...

The BARBICIDE really caught my eye! :-)

angela said...

Barbicide...who knew?

How well you've captured the atmosphere here. The B&W works very well and a great choice of music.
I can remember sitting watching my father in the chair and being terrified he'd have his throat cut with one of those cut throat razors.

Victor said...

I know exactly what this place smells like. Thanks for the memories.

Knoxville Girl said...

I get my hair cut at a similar barbershop downtown; lady barber's been in business for 30 years.
Great shot,V.

Laurie Allee said...

Now you KNOW I love this one! Great black and white capture of a slice of life.

And I must say, Barbacide is a new one for me. They don't have that at your average salon!

Wonderful, Virg. I had to laugh at the website line!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Here's me thinking Barbicide was Ken killing that dreadful bimbo doll Barbie. Too echo Lauire, Love the b&w as you know I would. You click (no pun intended) with people and you bring them to life for us. I'm sorted blog wise again. Hop over to see the pea green sea.

Pat said...

Your choice of song is great! I love this photo's composition, as well as the subject.

Babooshka beat me to the pun...dang.

PJ said...

I like your latest offerings, Virginia. I think you're at your best here, everything just seems to be flowing. Have a great weekend.

Janet Kincaid said...

Great pictures, Virginia! Kudos to you for just marchin' right in and snapping away. I've wanted to do the same thing in some of the barber shops around here. I think you've given me the motivation to give it a try.

As for Barbicide, no clue. I'm not sure I want to know. I'm just glad the combs are clean!

P.S. My word verification is "acess"! How apropos!

Virginia said...

OH PJ, not flowing exactly. Today I could have gotten my lights knocked out trying to shoot in an unsavory area of town. Lesson learned. Will take my photography guys next time I want some "seedy" shots. Whew! Desperate times call for deperate measures I always say!!

DC, Go for it. You will love it but don't commit "Barbicide" as W. said! Hey, I might even march right in there again and have a chat with the guys!

Anonymous said...

Must I do all the work around here?
WPD:
Barbicide is a transparent blue disinfectant solution manufactured by King Research. It was invented in 1947 by Maurice King. [1] It is used in barber shops and hair salons to disinfect items such as combs and scissors, where it is a very well-recognized symbol of cleanliness and sanitation, and has been for decades; indeed, a jar of Barbicide sits on display in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, and many customers demand that a comb or scissors be dipped in it if dropped. [2] In many salons, each barber or hair stylist will have his or her own supply of Barbicide displayed on a shelf in a distinctive glass-and-stainless-steel Barbicide jar, also made by King Research.

Ok, the way I see it, Barbicide indicates: No lice here.

Virginia said...

AH,
Well what in the world would I do without you? You have just been made the official Director of Pertinent Information for Birmingham Alabama Daily Photo! We will look to you first for all our info needs. Merci beaucoup. Aren't we all relieved to know what's in the Blue Jar???!!!! Whew

Wayne said...

Now that I think of it, it's probably exactly the same stuff Aqua Velva is made from.

Anonymous said...

People must now listen to me because I have a title! I am DPIBA. I know shit (IKS)

Bob Crowe said...

Wayne has to be right - Barbicide is stuff to knock off barbers. Wow, it's been a long time since I got my hair cut in a place like this. It's all we had, everywhere in the country through my childhood and teens. Then there was that period when getting my hair cut was a very rare occurrence. Then I got out of school, had a real job, a wife, soon a baby and then WHAM I had to go to a salon fer chrissakes to get my hair cut and the people doing it were all women. What the hell happened?

Virginia said...

Bob,
HA, I see what you're saying. For the "girls" it's been the same since the earth cooled. For you guys, it's been that comfortable, oh so manly barber shop. Then... the dreaded crossover to the SALON!!! What's a guy to do???

Ken Mac said...

barbicide: Death by barber?

Virginia said...

KM,
We sooo hope not!