Inside the colorful world of America's barbershops crowded with tchotchkes, portraits and mounted deer heads run by old-timer traditionalists and a new generation of young, tattooed owners(15 Pics)
For photographer Rob Hammer the fascination with barbershops started early.
'My father used to bring me to the barbershop with him as a kid,' he told . 'I would see this totally different side of him that I wouldn't see at home. Ever since then, I've had a thing for them.'
When he noticed that many traditional barbershops were closing, he decided to document them and started locally in San Diego. But he wasn't satisfied. 'What I was finding here wasn't what I was used to back home,' said Hammer, who grew up in upstate New York.
Soon, Hammer was going to shops in Southern California, Arizona and then, eventually, all 50 states. The images are now part of a new book, Barbershops of America: Then and Now. It is a tribute to the longtime art of shaving, cutting and trimming that men have been gathering for since at least the ancient Greeks and that continues to be an integral part of towns and cities throughout the United States.
Indeed, in places, such as the Bronx in New York City, that have recently reopened after the lockdown due to the pandemic, some barbershops were filled with customers.
Hammer's photographs illustrate the changing of the guard from the old-timers to the next generation of young, tattooed barbers. And while the decor of the shops may change from walls covered with business cards, pictures and gifts from customers to mounted deer heads and skateboard decks, there is one thing that does not waver: the sense of community men feel at their regular spot.
'It's a place where men enter as complete strangers and leave as friends. It's a place where grown men embrace and hug. It's a place where these said grown men will confide in their barber about things that they wouldn't share with their priest, rabbi, parents, wives, or best friends,' Mark-Jason Solofa, a barber, wrote in the book's forward.
Barbering has been an essential part of the human experience throughout history. The Egyptians were said to offer barber services and men have gathered for a shave, cut, trim, gossip and debate since at least the ancient Greeks. In the United States, barbershops have been a vital place of community for men. Photographer Rob Hammer has been chronicling the shops since 2012. He took the above image of Stancil's Barbershop in Albany, New York in 2013. He likened its atmosphere to the barbershop scenes in Coming to America, the 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy. He told DailyMail.com: 'There was a show going on almost'
Hammer, who is based in San Diego, started documenting barbershops because longtime businesses were closing. 'This project started out of my love for barbershops and the desire to photograph the old timers before they were all gone, but that focus shifted after being introduced to some of the "next generation," he wrote in the foreword of his new book called Barbershops of America: Then and Now. Above, Shane's Barbershop in San Mateo, California in 2017. Shane, a well-known barber, is getting a shave at his shop. 'People know his haircuts all over the world,' Hammer said about Shane's skills
Many barbers and their shops are the rocks of their towns, Hammer said. The photographer traveled to all 50 states and has been to over 1,000 shops for this project. Above, Tony's Barbershop in Greenwich, Connecticut in 2013. Hammer said that the business has since closed, but he has kept in touch with the owner. 'He had a natural way of moving around the shop,' Hammer said of Tony while he worked. The above image is 'a very special one for the project' and he noted its timeless quality
After taking photographs of shops around the country for about three years, Hammer self-published the images in a book called Barbershops of America. He thought he was done when something unexpected happened: Barbershops became hip and sexy. 'At first I was really hesitant to pay attention to them,' Hammer said of the new crop of shops. But after checking them out, he said: 'I was amazed how beautiful these shops were.' Above, Golden Crown Barbershop in Laguna Niguel in 2017. Hammer said the shop is a staple in Orange County, California. He pointed out how the tattooed barbers are completely different than the old-timers
When Hammer was selecting images for his new book, he said he realized some of the barbers have since passed away and their shops have closed. He told DailyMail.com: 'They were a really important piece of their community. It's such a niche part of American culture. When they're gone, they're gone forever.' Above, Red's Barbershop in Gulfport, Mississippi in 2013, which has since shuttered. He said he knew he had to take an image of the place when he saw the flag of the 13 colonies, which is said to be the work of Betsy Ross. Hammer called the owner Red the 'perfect Southern gentlemen'
Growing up in a small town in upstate New York, Hammer was into sports and at 6'5," he played basketball. After graduating with a criminal justice degree from Norwich University in Vermont, he found random work. 'I hated all the jobs. The one constant through all those years was photography,' he recalled.
Photography had been a hobby since he was younger and he began to push himself to get a portfolio together. About 15 years ago, he moved to San Diego with a friend. Hammer steadily worked to build a career and has taken photographs of famous athletes, such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.
The barbershop project started in 2012. Hammer hadn't planned on traveling to all 50 states, but on a cross-country trip from San Diego to New York, he took photographs of shops he found along the way.
Initially, he searched on the Internet for places, but often when he went there, he was disappointed. 'At some point, I realize the shops I was looking for weren't online,' he recalled. 'I just started driving. I would stay off the highways.'
He found the photographic treasures in tiny towns across the country.
'You know the second you walk in, this is the shop you want,' he said. 'I've been in well over 1,000 shops for this project – very few of those were what I was looking for. There's a feeling and a vibe that has developed over the years. You can feel the character of the place.'
Barbershops have been a vital part of their communities for decades and Hammer pointed out one in Brooklyn that has been the same location for around 200 years.
His approach varied when trying to get the owner to agree to let him shoot their place. Sometimes he left his camera in the car and would talk to the owners beforehand. Sometimes he bluntly asked. 'They either really loved it or (said) get the hell out of here.'
Hammer worked on the project for about three years and then self-published the images in a book called Barbershops of America. He thought he was finished when something unexpected happened: Barbershops became hip and sexy.
'At first I was really hesitant to pay attention to them,' Hammer said of the new crop of shops. But after checking them out, he said: 'I was amazed how beautiful these shops were.'
Photographer Rob Hammer grew up in a small town in upstate New York. He played basketball but was also interested in photography, which he turned to as a full-time career after college. After moving to the West Coast, he worked to build his portfolio and ended up taking photographs of famous athletes, such as Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. Above, Kenneth, the owner of Cuts and Bends in Oakland, California in 2017. 'He is a very soft-spoken, genuine person,' Hammer told DailyMail.com, adding that the walkway around his chair was surrounded by a castle of books
When he first starting documenting traditional barbershops in 2012, he began locally in San Diego where he has been living now for about 15 years. But he wasn't satisfied with what he found. So he began exploring shops in towns across the country. Above, Tony's Barbershop in Brooklyn, New York in 2018. 'If you wanted to walk into a time capsule, Tony's would be it,' he told DailyMail.com. 'Tony himself is a character.' A barbershop has reportedly been at that location in Sunset Park for about 200 years, and Tony has been the owner for over 50 years. 'I've never seen a shop like his. To say the place is a gem is an understatement'
Above, the owner of Mack Brooks Barbershop in Crestview, Florida in 2013. 'He's been there forever,' Hammer said. 'He was a talker.' When Hammer would take photographs of a shop, sometimes he was in and out quickly. But sometimes he also would spend hours hanging out with the barber and customers. After he was finished shooting Mack Brooks, the owner asked Hammer to grab something to eat with him at a nearby restaurant. 'It's a very small town. He knew every single person we passed from the shop to the cafe,' Hammer recalled, adding that the waitress knew the barber's order without asking
The current owner, Joe, above on the left, kept the original name, Craighead Barbershop, which is in Nashville, Tennessee. The above image was taken in 2012. In the new book, Barbershops of America: Then and Now, Joe is quoted saying, 'People left town in the '60s and '70s. Came back and said... you mean to tell me this is still Craighead's?' Hammer said Joe hasn't changed a thing about the longtime shop
Hammer has been hooked on barbershops ever since he was young. 'My father used to bring me to the barbershop with him as a kid,' he told DailyMail.com. 'I would see this totally different side of him that I wouldn't see at home. Ever since then, I've had a thing for them.' Above, Angel's Barbershop in Seligman, Arizona in 2012. The owner is called 'the mayor of Route 66,' Hammer said. The shop gets a lot business from tourists. 'All the things you see on the wall are business cards that customers have given him,' Hammer explained, adding that the binders on the bottom left are also full of business cards. The owner 'was the real deal. He loves what he does. He loves meeting people'
In contrast to the old-timers, this new generation of barbers are often heavily tattooed and their shops – converted garages or houses – are singular with curated interiors. Hammer started to chronicle the new shops and after about five years, he self-published a second book, which is also titled Barbershops of America: Then and Now.
He brought his second book along as he continued to work on the project. It proved useful to help convince barbers, like the owner of Duckett's Barbershop in Brooklyn. Duckett 'went through the book meticulously from front to back for maybe 35 minutes,' Hammer recalled and he was allowed to take photographs.
After about eight years of working on the project, his latest book of the images, which is divided in two sections called Old School and Next Generation, was published by Schiffer.
'This project started out of my love for barbershops and the desire to photograph the old timers before they were all gone, but that focus shifted after being introduced to some of the "next generation." So this book is very much about barbering's disappearing past and the stark contrast of its now-vibrant future,' Hammer wrote in the new book's introduction.
And for now, he has no plans to stop taking pictures, preserving barbershop history, and showcasing the up-and-comers.
'I've published the book and I'm still photographing shops. I can't stop doing it,' he said. 'It kind of became a bug. I got addicted to it.'
Hammer said that Lefty's Barbershop in San Diego, California, above in an image from 2017, is a staple in the city. 'Lefty's has been kind of this breeding ground for great barbers,' he said, adding that they then leave and open their own spot. Co-owner Mikal sits in a chair in the fuchsia-hued shop made possible by its fluorescent lights. 'They were my original barbershop when I moved to San Diego,' Hammer recalled. He had photographed the business before while on an assignment for a magazine
In contrast to the old-timers, this new generation of barbers are often heavily tattooed and their shops – converted garages or houses – are singular with curated interiors, such as Pugsly's Sideshow in Kingston, New York, above in a 2017 image. The barber who runs the shop is admired and others in the industry look up to him, Hammer said. 'He has an overall attention to detail that is phenomenal,' he said. The shop 'still has a really great feel. You can tell it's from him but not put-on'
Barbershops of America: Then and Now is divided into two sections: Old School and Next Generation. 'In 2012, when I first started shooting barbershops, the old timers seemed like dinosaurs about to go extinct, taking the trade with them,' Hammer wrote in the book's introduction. 'Fortunately, there has been a resurgence in the barbershop world.' Above, Electric Barbershop in Riverside, California in 2017. Hammer told DailyMail.com: 'I've never seen green walls like that.' He noted the church pew repurposed as a waiting bench and the portrait of Jesus at the top
Whether a traditional barbershop or one of the next generation, one thing does not change: The sense of community men have in the space. Mark-Jason Solofa, a barber, wrote in the book's forward that it's 'a place where every man becomes a professional sports analyst... It's a place where opinions will differ, but opinions expressed with respect will be heard. It's a place filled with laughter, encouragement, support, and wisdom...' Above, Vinny's Barbershop in Los Angeles, California in 2017. The shop was mainstay in Los Angles but it has since closed
'Everything in here is what I consider to be a real barbershop,' Hammer wrote in the introduction to his new book, Barbershops of America: Then and Now. 'You see, shops—real shops, that is—are just like people, in that they have a soul. That's why a photograph of an empty shop is just as effective as one with every chair filled. You can just feel what's happened in there.' Above, Duckett's Barbershop in Brooklyn, New York in 2018
Inside the colorful world of America's barbershops crowded with tchotchkes, portraits and mounted deer heads run by old-timer traditionalists and a new generation of young, tattooed owners(15 Pics)
![Inside the colorful world of America's barbershops crowded with tchotchkes, portraits and mounted deer heads run by old-timer traditionalists and a new generation of young, tattooed owners(15 Pics)]()
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June 26, 2020
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