Always Wondered What the Significance Was of Barber Poles?
What Is the History of the Barber Shop Pole?
A barber shop pole is a white pole that is marked with red and blue stripes, used to show people that there was a barbers shop. Traditionally, these poles used to be static, however, most of today’s barber’s poles will rotate in order to attract potential customers eyes. The movement of the stripes creates an interesting visual illusion, as it appears like the stripes are actually sinking down the pole, and not traveling around it.
The origins of barber poles span decades, however, before we delve deeper into the roots of this iconic symbol, it may surprise you to know that barbers and surgeons were one and the same at one time. Historically speaking, barber-surgeons used to be authorized to perform bloodletting and other simple surgical procedures, while apothecaries created the medical concoctions. Surgeons were once looked down on by apothecaries and other people of the medical profession, due to the fact their work was often quite bloody and usually with fatal results, mostly due to the poor sanitation and pain management.
Because most people were illiterate, business owners would frequently use symbols to show people what their profession was, instead of written signs, that would have been unintelligible to most of their customers. The barber’s pole came out as a symbol by 1200 CE, and the classic red and blue stripes symbolized bloodletting, which was one of the major offerings of this profession. The white background is said to stand for the white bandages of which there would have been an abundance of.
Even though it seems bizarre that performing surgery and cutting hair was done by the same person, back then barber-surgeons actually used the same tools for both professions. Surgery and barbering both use razor-sharp knives, scissors, and other cutting tools, in addition to needing a steady hand.
Well, we at Man Cave Barber Shop LLC hoped you enjoyed our little history lesson, however, if you are in the market for a professional barber shop, then call us today at (678) 656-6034. We are based in Marietta, GA.