Here is my 1940s Barbershop:

[MEDIUMMYND]

A gem

 

[Mr. 'H']

Whitewall:

 

[scotrace]

I like that haircut. I'm not 'lowed to have one, but I like it!

 

[Barbigirl]

Whitewall

Your eyebrows are still there right?

 

[Tallulah]

Your eyebrows are still there right?

*cough* ...too funny.

I must say though; I like white walls. In fact, I love a short, sharp and clean haircut on a man... to me there is nothing more masculine, or sexy.

 

[Kifaru]

Whitewall:

When I was a kid we had one barber in town. We called him Dwayne the Butcher because no matter what you asked for, what you got was whitewalls! That was the '70s and all the guys wanted the long feathered hair. A year or two after High School I joined the military. After a few years of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes with my High and Tight haircut, I eventually let my hair grow out long, all the way down to whitewalls ;-)

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

That brings back memories

I think most, if not all, states have banned the use of straight-edged razors by their respective health departments thanks to AIDs, etc. I thought an autoclave would take care of sterilization. What I wouldn't give for that final trim I used to get with hot lather around the neck and ears.

Does anyone remember Michael Palin of Monty Python fame when he did the around the world in 80 days challenge? While in India he got a straight edged razor shave by a blind street barber and didn't know it until half way through it. The look in his eyes gave it away. He walked away without a nick.

 

[Mr. 'H']

I have a great time when I go there. Sometimes I pop in just to say hello and get a coffee. It's a great vintage feeling.

It's the same feeling you get in places like to Queen Mary. Just a certain ambience.

Here's the shop (and me) on a TV documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj6iM9w_FGY

 

[St.Ignatz]

A Shave at the Waldorf Barbershop

Very nice. That's the Puma my Dad gave me for my 16th Birthday 41 years ago. Still got it and still use it when Joe (my barber) puts an edge on it for me. Just can't seem to get it right on my own.

 

[Fletch]

Shurely

what an Irish barber does is not singeing, but Syngeing?

lol

 

[Tomasso]

Here's the shop (and me) on a TV documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj6iM9w_FGY

Great place!

It reminds me of my old school (1913) NYC barber, Paul Molé (scroll half way down to enter), where my grandfather first took me over forty years ago. Gramps was one of their first and best (weekly haircut/trim his entire life) customers.

 

[Mr. 'H']

what an Irish barber does is not singeing, but Syngeing?

lol

Very drole!

 

[Mr. 'H']

Great place!

It reminds me of my old school (1913) NYC barber, Paul Molé (scroll half way down to enter), where my grandfather first took me over forty years ago. Gramps was one of their first and best (weekly haircut/trim his entire life) customers.

That looks like a superb place - I have bookmarked it to go to the next time I'm in NYC.

Open since 1913 eh? Even older than the Waldorf at 1929!

:eusa_clap

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

If ever there was a need for a "chain" of shops, reminds me of "Reg and Ken", when I was a kid. Not the name of the shop, cannot remember that but they are the two barbers that could do a good short back and sides. Ken was slightly better.

Something for the weekend, sir? :eusa_doh: sorry, had to say it

Do they play 40's music to keep the mood or is it a radio tuned to Radio 1, etc?

 

[Mr. 'H']

If ever there was a need for a "chain" of shops, reminds me of "Reg and Ken", when I was a kid. Not the name of the shop, cannot remember that but they are the two barbers that could do a good short back and sides. Ken was slightly better.

Something for the weekend, sir? :eusa_doh: sorry, had to say it

Do they play 40's music to keep the mood or is it a radio tuned to Radio 1, etc?

It's a playlist of Big Band tunes on an iPod connected to hidden speakers. Always the same kind of music. They don't mess around with it.

I would love to get them an old cathedral radio to play the ipod thru as has been discussed in the Radio thread.

 

[Mr. Godfrey]

It's a playlist of Big Band tunes on an iPod connected to hidden speakers. Always the same kind of music. They don't mess around with it.

I would love to get them an old cathedral radio to play the ipod thru as has been discussed in the Radio thread.

It sounds fantasic! you are most fortunate Mr H, how I envy you.

 

[feltfan]

Here's the shop (and me) on a TV documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj6iM9w_FGY

How did I miss this thread? Great place, great video.

Any idea how they employ the high frequency generator?

 

[Mr. 'H']

How did I miss this thread? Great place, great video.

Any idea how they employ the high frequency generator?

FeltFan, this thread sparked me off on a little odyssey. To find out about the aforementioned HFG:

Prelim web info states:

Promotes the blood circulation of the head, strengthens the nutrient supply, and aids in preventing and curing neurasthenia, headaches, dizzyness, and sleepless nights. It also promotes hair growth, prevents and cures hair loss, and loss of hair color, etc.

Here's the photodocumentary (Linda showed me one of the units that was in the shop):

Linda told me that the customer holds the metal rod and that you could actually see a blue shimmering electric current on their body eek.

Needless to say it's not something that's done every day....

 

[Mr. 'H']

Neurasthenia....

Gave me a chucle....

...to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, impotence, neuralgia and depressed mood.

Americans were supposed to be particularly prone to neurasthenia, which resulted in the nickname "Americanitis" (popularized by William James).

It was explained as being a result of exhaustion of the central nervous system's energy reserves, which Beard attributed to modern civilization. Physicians in the Beard school of thought associated neurasthenia with the stresses of urbanization and the pressures placed on the intellectual class by the increasingly competitive business environment. Typically, it was associated with upper class individuals in sedentary employment.

 

[feltfan]

FeltFan, this thread sparked me off on a little odyssey.

Ouch.
But thanks so much for looking into this.
They had a lot of uses in the old days. I will try
to get around to scanning in some book pages for you.
In the video there was a wall mounted version. Looked
particularly daunting. I was wondering what that particular
device was used for? Or maybe I misunderstood the image.

One word of advice for your barber friends: should they
ever decide to use one of those "violet ray" devices,
don't use them around alcohol-based hair treatments!
All the books and devices come with this warning.

Linda told me that the customer holds the metal rod and that you could actually see a blue shimmering electric current on their body eek.

Needless to say it's not something that's done every day....

I asked because I have collected quite a few of these devices.
Here's one I posted:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=14446
That one had a (somewhat) legitimate use: it powered an X-ray machine
you wouldn't DREAM of using today- far too much radiation and non-
directional. But that coil had uses with those glass rods you show, too.
So what you saw was a "quack" device, but they did have
legitimate applications sometimes, too.

If I get a moment, I'll start a new thread on these devices.
I have too many and hope to sell some soon. So I'll take pictures
and post them for all to see.