HISTORY OF BARBERING The word "barber"
comes from the Latin word "barba," meaning beard. It may surprise you to know that the earliest records of barbers
show that they were the foremost men of their tribe. They were the medicine men and the priests. But primitive man was very
superstitious and the early tribes believed that both good and bad spirits, which entered the body through the hairs on the
head, inhabited every individual. The bad spirits could only be driven out of the individual by cutting the hair, so various
fashions of hair cutting were practiced by the different tribes and this made the barber the most important man in the community.
In fact, the barbers in these tribal days arranged all marriages and baptized all children. They were the chief figures in
the religious ceremonies. During these ceremonies, the hair was allowed to hang loosely over the shoulders so that the evil
spirits could come out. After the dancing, the long hair was cut in the prevailing fashion by the barbers and combed back
tightly so that the evil spirits could not get in or the good spirits get out. This rule by barbers was a common thing
in ancient Asia. In fact, wherever there were legends and superstitions about the hair, the barbers flourished. To this day
in India, the veneration of the hair continues and those who cut and dress the hair are important characters.
SHAVED HEADS AND BEARDS In Egypt, many centuries before Christ, barbers were prosperous and highly respected. The ancient
monuments and papyrus show that the Egyptians shaved their beards and their heads. The Egyptian priests even went so far as
to shave the entire body every third day. At this time the barbers carried their tools in open-mouthed baskets and their razors
were shaped like small hatchets and had curved handles. The Bible tells us that when Joseph was summoned to appear before
Pharaoh, a barber was sent for to shave Joseph, so that Pharaoh's sight would not be offended by a dirty face.
In Greece, barbers came into prominence as early as the fifth century, BC. These wise men of Athens rivaled each other in
the excellence of their beards. Beard trimming became an art and barbers became leading citizens. Statesmen, poets and philosophers,
who came to have their hair cut or their beards trimmed or curled and scented with costly essences, frequented their shops.
And, incidentally, they came to discuss the news of the day, because the barber shops of ancient Greece were the headquarters
for social, political, and sporting news. The importance of the tonsorial art in Greece may be gathered from the fact that
a certain prominent Greek was defeated for office because his opponent had a more neatly trimmed beard.
In the
third century, BC, the Macedonians under Alexander the Great began their conquest of Asia and lost several battles to the
Persians who grabbed the Macedonians by their beards, pulled them to the ground and speared them. This resulted in a general
order by Alexander that all soldiers be clean-shaven. The civilians followed the example of the soldiers and beards lost their
vogue. Barbers were unknown in Rome until 296 BC, when Ticinius Mena came to Rome from Sicily and introduced shaving. Shaving
soon became the fashion and the barber shop became the gathering place for the Roman dandies. No people were better patrons
of the barbers than the Romans. They often devoted several hours each day to tonsorial operations, which included shaving,
hair cutting, hairdressing, massaging, manicuring and the application of rare ointments and cosmetics of unknown formulas.
The great ladies of Rome always had a hairdresser among their slaves and the rich nobles had private tonsors, as they were
then called. Barbers were so highly prized that a statue was erected to the memory of the first barber of Rome.
When Hadrian became emperor, beards became the fashion again -- and for a very good reason. Hadrian had a face covered with
warts and scars. He allowed his beard to grow to cover these blemishes. The people of Rome imitated the emperor and grew beards
whether they needed them or not.
The fashion changed again to clean-shaven faces. We know that Caesar was clean-shaven.
As we will see repeated in history many times, the leaders of the state were the leaders of fashion and the people were always
ready to follow the prevailing styles. There are many passages in the Bible referring to the barber profession. Moses commanded
that all who recovered from leprosy should be shaved. This was done as a health precaution, because throughout history the
Jews have honored the beard as a badge of manhood. To this day, the orthodox Jews have little respect for clean-shaven men.
During periods of mourning, the ancient Jews allowed their beards to go untrimmed, but ordinarily their beards were trimmed
regularly. The prophet Ezekiel refers to an ancient custom in these words: "Take thou a barber's razor and cause
it to pass upon thy head and upon thy beard." The razors of those days were made of flint and oyster shells.
ASSISTANTS TO CLERGY During the first centuries of the Christian era, the barbers of Europe practiced their profession
wherever it was the custom to shave the face and trim the beard. Charlemagne made long, flowing hair the fashion, but each
new conqueror changed the fashion according to his whim and personal needs. During the first ten centuries after Christ, the
great majority of the people and even the nobles were uneducated and could neither read nor write. The most learned people
of the times were the monks and priests who became the physicians of the dark ages. There were no professional surgeons at
that time. Most of the diseases, which are easily curable now, were fatal then. "Bloodletting" was the popular method
of curing all ills. The clergy who enlisted barbers as their assistants first performed this. This was the first step in the
upward progress of the barber profession. Barbers continued to act as assistants to the physician-clergy, until the 12th century.
At the council of Tours in 1163, the clergy were forbidden to draw blood or to act as physicians and surgeons on the grounds
that it was sacrilegious for ministers of God to draw blood from the human body. The barbers took up the duties relinquished
by the clergy and the era of barber-surgeons began. The connection between barbery and surgery continued for more than six
centuries and the barber profession reached its pinnacle during this time.
FIRST BARBER ORGANIZATION The
earliest known organization of barbers was formed in 1096 in France when William, archbishop of Rouen, prohibited the wearing
of a beard. The barber-surgeon, or chirurgeons, began to thrive all over Europe. They were the doctors of the times and the
royalty as well as the common people came to the barbers to have their ills treated as well as for shaving and haircutting.
The physicians proper were in continual conflict with the barber-surgeons. The barbers embraced dentistry as well as surgery
and this brought down on them the enmity of the dentists of the times. This caused a long strife, whose settlement required
the interference of kings and councils. Followed between the barbers and the regular surgeon-dentists. But the barbers retained
the privilege of practicing dentistry and surgery for several centuries.
FOUNDED SCHOOL OF SURGERY In the
middle of the 13th century, the barber companies of Paris, known as the Brotherhoods of St. Cosmos and St. Domain, founded
the first school ever known for the systematic instruction of barbers in the practice of surgery. This school was later enlarged
and became the model for schools of surgery during the Middle Ages. Many of the foremost surgeons of the times were students
of the School of St. Cosmos and St. Domain. The establishment of this school was one of the greatest contributions ever made
toward the progress of humanity. The oldest barber organization in the world, still known in London as the "Worshipful
Company of Barbers," was established in 1308. Richard le Barbour, as the Master of the Barbers, was given supervision
over the whole of his trade in London. Once a month he had to go the rounds and rebuke any barbers whom he found acting disgracefully
or entering on other trades less reputable. The master of a city company not only had this power, but he successfully prevented
unauthorized persons from practicing the barber profession. The Barbers Guild of the 14th Century was undoubtedly more powerful
than any of the modern unions. The king and council sanctioned the Guilds and so they could enforce their regulations. It
was not uncommon for violators of Guild regulations to suffer prison terms for their misdemeanors.
BARBERS AS
SURGEONS Up to the year 1416, the barbers were not interfered with in the practice of surgery and dentistry. But it was
soon evident that they were attempting too much. It was impossible to expect ordinary human beings to competently practice
surgery, dentistry and the various tonsorial operations. People began to complain that the barber-surgeons were making them
sick instead of well. Many barber-surgeons resorted to quackery in order to cover up their ignorance of medicine and anatomy.
These abuses came to the attention of the mayor and council of London. In 1416 an ordinance was passed forbidding barbers
from taking under their care any sick person in danger of death or maiming, unless within three days after being called in,
they presented the patient to one of the masters of the Barber-Surgeon's Guild. Until 1461 the barbers were the only persons
practicing surgery. The practice of surgery was still in its primitive stage, but new discoveries were being made regularly
and the barbers found it impossible to keep up with the new discoveries and at the same time maintain their skill in dentistry
and barbering. The surgeons began to forge to the front and became increasingly jealous of the privileges accorded the barbers.
But for a long time they could do nothing to prevent the barbers from acting as surgeons. In 1450, the Guild of Surgeons was
incorporated with the Barbers Company by act of parliament. Barbers were restricted to bloodletting, toothdrawing, cauterization
and the tonsorial operations. However the board of governors, regulating the operations of the surgeons and barber-surgeons,
consisted of two surgeons and two barbers. Every time a surgeon was given a diploma entitling him to practice his profession,
the diploma had to be signed by two barbers as well as two surgeons. The surgeons resented this, but the barbers were very
much favored by the monarchs and preserved their privileges until the middle of the 18th century. Henry VIII, Charles II and
Queen Anne presented the barber-surgeons with valuable gifts and raised many of them to high offices. Under a clause in the
Act of Henry VIII, the Barber-Surgeons were entitled to receive every year the bodies of four criminals who had been executed.
The dissections were performed four times a year in the Barber-Surgeons Hall which still stands in London.
ORIGIN
OF BARBER POLE The modern barber pole originated in the days when bloodletting was one of the principal duties of the
barber. The two spiral ribbons painted around the pole represent the two long bandages, one twisted around the arm before
bleeding and the other used to bind is afterward. Originally, when not in use, the pole with a bandage wound around it, so
that both might be together when needed, was hung at the door as a sign. But later, for convenience, instead of hanging out
the original pole, another one was painted in imitation of it and given a permanent place on the outside of the shop. This
was the beginning of the modern barber pole.
ALLIANCE DISSOLVED As the science of medicine, surgery and
dentistry advanced, the barbers became less and less capable of performing the triple functions of barber-surgeon-dentist.
The surgeons wished to be separated entirely from the barbers and they petitioned parliament to sever the ancient relationship
of the barbers and surgeons and compel each profession to adhere strictly to its own provinces. A committee was appointed
by parliament to investigate the matter and the petition was favorably reported to parliament. By an act of parliament, which
received the sanction of the king, the alliance between the barbers and surgeons was dissolved in June, 1745. Two separate
companies were formed and the property, formerly owned by the barbers and surgeons jointly, was divided among the two companies.
PROFESSION DECLINES This marked the decline of the barber profession. Similar action was taken in France
under the reign of Louis XIV. Toward the end of the 18th century the barbers of Europe had completely relinquished their right
to perform any of the operations of surgery and dentistry, except in the small towns and out-of-the-way places where doctors
and dentists were not obtainable. After the barbers were prohibited from practicing medicine, surgery and dentistry, they
became mere mechanics and servants, subject to the whims of fashion. When wigs became the fashion during the 18th and part
of the 19th century, barbers became wigmakers. Their profession had lost its ancient dignity and barbers had become laborers,
instead of professional men. In England, America and all over the civilized world, the decline of the barber was a spectacle
for all to see. Barber shops became hangouts, places where low characters assembled. Smutty stories, malicious scandal and
gossip of all kinds characterized barber shops until a few years ago. A barber shop was a place where men showed their lower
instincts and where women dared not enter.
AN UPWARD TREND Late in the nineteenth century there were several
noteworthy events in the barber profession that gave it an upward trend, and the effects are still carrying onward and upward.
How long it will be before the barber may be looked up to as a professional man, taking his place by the side of the dentist,
chiropodist, chiropractor and other kindred professions, cannot be foretold, but it would seem both the public and the profession
are ready for better things. In 1893, A. B. Moler of Chicago, established a school for barbers. This was the first institution
of its kind in the world, and its success was apparent from its very start. It stood for higher education in the ranks, and
the parent school was rapidly followed by branches in nearly every principle city of the United States. In the beginning of
schools, simply the practical work of shaving, haircutting, facial treatments, etc., was taught as neither the public nor
the profession were ready to accept scientific treatments of hair, skin and scalp. Not until about 1920 was much effort made
to professionalize the work
