Barbershops

By Claudine Sauve and Tally Abecassis

Barbershops is a tribute to a romantic time when waiting in line was an excuse for a chat and when looking tip-top was a personal mantra. Once a hub of local news and activity, sacred to men and closed to women, the barbershop is slowly disappearing. If their walls could talk, they would tell of boys' first visits with their fathers, of potions applied to men's beards and self-esteem, of great arguments held, of friendships made, broken, and made again. Barbershops captures the original, beautiful, kitsch, and sometimes surreal beauty of these fading places. Featuring brilliant portraits, unusual decor, and heartbreaking stories, it will transport you to one of the most authentic spaces in our urban environment. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1904772145
• ISBN13: 9781904772149
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Black Dog Publishing
• Length: 175 Pages
• Weight: 1.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Wow. Just get it!

I can't wait for my clients to see this great book. It makes me feel proud to cut hair. It's a dying bread and seeing this awesomely done photos will make you wonder why Barber shops are fading? Talented book all the way. A++++++

Wow! Awesome!

Books like this come along once in a generation. You can almost smell the hair tonic as you flip through the pages. The anecdotes are bittersweet and nostalgic and compliment the stunning high-quality imagery beautifully. The old style barbershop may be going the way of the dinosaur, but thanks to this lovely book, they will live on in our memories forever. Thank you for giving us this wonderful treasure.Gus

More than a photo book - so much fun

My grandfather was a barber so I was immediately interested when I saw photos from this book in the Globe and Mail. I just bought the book and was so impressed. The photos and text really capture the world of barbers and I'm thankful there is a record of this disappearing profession. And it's not all nostalgic - some of my favourite pages feature modern barbershops that are striving. A book that anyone would enjoy.

What a great book!

I heard about this book on CBC Radio and it sounded fantastic. I received my copy and the photos are beautiful! They really capture the atmosphere and the details of those traditional barbershops. There are little interview excerpts that really give you the feeling that you're sitting in one of them, overhearing bits of conversation. I sat and read it cover to cover and felt like I had just spent an hour in a barbershop. Very unique!

Loved it!

I loved this book! It's full of photos of things like those beautiful old barbershops chairs, the bottles of tonic on the counter, the little personal things in every shop. The photos are paired with barber quotes that are amusing, while also wise and touching. And I enjoyed the personable writing style of the section on barbershop history. This is just a beautifully-crafted book.