The Hair Cutter"s Story
Even though many people use them today, most do not know exactly why the barber is a staple in each and every town. They used to be a few different things back in the day, but eventually the professions were divided and barbers now just cut hair. It has only been recently that many of the tools that current barbers use have been invented, but the profession is among the oldest around today.
300 BC is around the first time that proof appeared of barbershops in Rome. People previously used to cut their own hair or help each other cut before these shops came around. At this time there was a huge shift in interest to artistic style since survival was no longer a major factor throughout the time. Due to the fact that they became a central area to get all the news and gossip one could handle, among other reasons, they remained very popular. In those days barbers not only cut hair, but acted as a doctor and a dentist too.
Barbers in the 1500s were aided by the government in cementing their place in everyone's life. Due to changes in interest, beards were frowned upon and England enacted a tax for them. Since the tax was very costly, people were forced to often go by a barber shop and have their face shaved. Since people were so used to getting their hair cut, barbers ended up staying around and being popular up to today. Various other European countries began adopting the tax as well, making it more predominant than just throughout England.
It was not until before the 1800s that the surgeon, dentist and barber professions divided. Throughout that time up until today barber shops have remained a central place to hear gossip and hang out, but typically only in smaller cities. A barber shop is usually a less elaborate form of a salon without all of the extra salon equipment. A lot of women that keep their hair up often go to a salon for coloring treatments or elaborate cuts, and visit a barber for touch-ups or simple kinds of cuts. Cost is a big factor that barbers provide, since their haircuts are generally not as elaborate, though they look just as good most of the time.
Today's barber chairs were first created in the midst of the 1800s. These devices were very similar to chairs today, and included common functions such as a footrest, easily cleanable upholstery and a higher elevation compared to an average chair. A lot of companies began designing and innovating on the classic design, but it was not until around 1900 when the hydraulic chair was introduced. At this time the barber chair was near the exact same as today, with obvious differences in styling and materials used back then.
300 BC is around the first time that proof appeared of barbershops in Rome. People previously used to cut their own hair or help each other cut before these shops came around. At this time there was a huge shift in interest to artistic style since survival was no longer a major factor throughout the time. Due to the fact that they became a central area to get all the news and gossip one could handle, among other reasons, they remained very popular. In those days barbers not only cut hair, but acted as a doctor and a dentist too.
Barbers in the 1500s were aided by the government in cementing their place in everyone's life. Due to changes in interest, beards were frowned upon and England enacted a tax for them. Since the tax was very costly, people were forced to often go by a barber shop and have their face shaved. Since people were so used to getting their hair cut, barbers ended up staying around and being popular up to today. Various other European countries began adopting the tax as well, making it more predominant than just throughout England.
It was not until before the 1800s that the surgeon, dentist and barber professions divided. Throughout that time up until today barber shops have remained a central place to hear gossip and hang out, but typically only in smaller cities. A barber shop is usually a less elaborate form of a salon without all of the extra salon equipment. A lot of women that keep their hair up often go to a salon for coloring treatments or elaborate cuts, and visit a barber for touch-ups or simple kinds of cuts. Cost is a big factor that barbers provide, since their haircuts are generally not as elaborate, though they look just as good most of the time.
Today's barber chairs were first created in the midst of the 1800s. These devices were very similar to chairs today, and included common functions such as a footrest, easily cleanable upholstery and a higher elevation compared to an average chair. A lot of companies began designing and innovating on the classic design, but it was not until around 1900 when the hydraulic chair was introduced. At this time the barber chair was near the exact same as today, with obvious differences in styling and materials used back then.