Any list of endangered species would probably include Florida panthers, Carolina northern flying squirrels, California condors, Plymouth red-bellied turtles, Tennessee yellow-eyed grass and old-time barber shops.
With the growth of unisex salons and discount family hair-care centers, it seems there’s less need for the traditional barber with his trimming shears, straight-edge razor, foamy lather and thousands of tales to tell.
Consider the Cary Barber Shop, with its weathered awning sign that declares “3 Barbers, Air Conditioned.” It is for sale after 37 years in business. The shop’s owner hopes the building remains a barber shop after it’s sold, but there are no guarantees.
According to the Illinois Department of Regulation, the number of licensed barbers in the Land of Lincoln has dwindled from 13,803 in 1973 to 7,068 today.
Edwin Jeffers, executive director of the National Association of Barber Boards in Columbus, Ohio, reports that the number of licensed barbers nationwide dropped by about half over the past 20 years, and that 50 percent of today’s 180,600 licensed barbers are 60 or older. “Many of them operate one-chair shops, so when they go, the store goes with them,” he said.
And George Austin, manager of the 101-year-old Moler Barber College on West Madison Street in Chicago, said the number of graduates from his school has slowly but surely declined over the past quarter-century. “Everyone wants to be a stylist these days,” he said.
“It’s sad to me what’s happening,” said Jeffers, who operates the Barber Museum and Hall of Fame in Columbus. “Heck, barbers are mentioned in the Bible. The profession has a long, long history. We’re doing what we can to preserve it. Nonetheless, I unfortunately see a day when barber shops cease to exist.”
But while the number of barbers is dwindling, there are a handful of old-time shops in the northwest suburbs keeping a tradition alive that dates back to the Bronze Age about 3000 B.C. and reached its heyday with the popularity of Floyd the barber on “The Andy Griffith Show.”
Barber shops with the familiar red, white and blue poles hanging in the window offer a consistent haircut at a good price, usually from $8 to $12. And a professional shave costs five bucks or so. By the way, in case you were wondering, the traditional striped barber’s pole symbolizes the bandages formerly associated with barbers, who until 1800 also performed various surgeries, in addition to cutting hair and trimming beards.
Shops with a long history in the northwest suburbs-where no surgeries have been performed for at least a few centuries-include Bob’s Barber Shop in Barrington, Sorrentino’s in Arlington Heights, Russell’s Barber Shop in Hoffman Estates, Jim & Jack’s in Crystal Lake, Craig’s Barber Shop in Wheeling, Joe’s Barber Shop in McHenry, Bill’s North End in Elgin, Louie’s Barber Shop in Mt. Prospect and Hoppy’s in Huntley. And for many local barbers, business is as good as ever.
For instance, while the Cary Barber Shop is for sale, Jim Vogt recently renewed his lease for another five years for his shop in downtown Palatine. Vogt just turned 60, and he still cuts 40 or so heads on a busy day. Vogt has been in business at the same location for 31 years, and his shop hasn’t changed much, if at all, since 1963. Actually, that’s not true. He bought new red vinyl barber chairs 10 years ago.
“The old chairs lasted 20 years, but they weren’t in very good shape any more, so we invested in these new chairs maybe 10 years ago,” said the Palatine resident. “I figure they’ll last me another 10 years. Maybe I’ll retire when these chairs do. But that’s not a day I look forward to.”
Vogt became interested in barbering when he was in the Army, and he went into business shortly before “long hair” hit in the mid-1960s. But even though a large percentage of the male population wasn’t getting haircuts on a regular basis, Vogt’s shop wasn’t affected. “Those days were the beginning of the population explosion around here, and there were plenty of fellows who were interested in getting their hair cut every four weeks or so,” he said.
Watching Vogt cut hair is like witnessing a surgeon at work. Whether he’s trimming eyebrows, removing unsightly neck hair using warm foam and a straight-edge razor or clipping every tiny hair around the ears, he’s a perfectionist.
Vogt’s fellow barber in his shop is Don “Mac” MacTavish of Palatine. They’ve been working side by side since 1966. “It’s easy to get along with `Mac,’ because we never talk to each other,” Vogt said with a laugh. “That’s why we stay together.”
Barber shops in ancient Rome and Athens were places of ongoing discussion and gossip, and Vogt’s Barber Shop keeps that tradition going thousands of years later. “Things are very friendly in here,” MacTavish said. “We know if a customer is a Cubs fan or Sox fan, a Bears fan or Packers fan. And we talk about what they like. We don’t want to rile anyone.”
At that moment, in came Jerry Daupherty of Palatine, who has been getting his hair cut at Jim Vogt’s Barber Shop since the day it opened for business. Daupherty often stops by to visit, whether he needs a haircut or not. “Jerry’s been coming here for 31 years, and we can’t get rid of him!” MacTavish said.
“These guys are my two best buddies,” Daupherty declared. “This is the only place I ever come to get my hair cut.” With that he removed his winter cap, revealing a shiny, bald head. “And see what they’ve done to me?” he bellowed. You could hear the laughter on Brockway Street.
Charlie’s Barber Shop in Richmond is one of the more unusual shops in the area. A first-time visitor might be confused, because in the corner of the shop, next to the barber’s chair, is a desk, computer and official looking maps. That’s because along with cutting hair for a living, Charlie DeHaan is Richmond Township assessor, an elective post he has held for 20 years.
DeHaan, 53, has been a barber in Richmond since 1960. After graduating from Alden-Hebron High School, he got a job as a mechanic in Woodstock, but quickly tired of “being covered with grease by the end of the day.” So he commuted from Harvard to Chicago six days a week for nine months to attend Moler Barber College and went to work the day he graduated.
“I’ve seen first-hand how barbering has changed dramatically over the years,” DeHaan said. “Here in Richmond, there used to be three shops in town, and now I’m the only one left. Seems like business went to pot when the long hair came in. The other guys closed their doors, and I ran for assessor to help make ends meet. Now I do my field work on my day off on Mondays and during the evening and I cut hair whenever people pop in.”
Charlie’s has a small-town feel, right down to the Richmond Burton High School Rockets wall clock, the flyer for a lost dog, a poster for an upcoming farm equipment auction, two stuffed pheasants hanging from the ceiling, framed photos of award-winning cows and a sign that says: “Cows may come and cows may go, but the bull in this place goes on forever.”
Knowing that he’s the last barber in town, DeHaan has no intention of retiring. “In a small town like Richmond, my customers are the hometown folk,” he said. “I need them and they need me. I’m offering a service they appreciate, and there’s no reason for me to quit and do anything else. I can make everyone who comes in here look pretty good for seven bucks. That’s not half bad.”
Ray Tourville, known simply as “Ray the Barber,” has been cutting hair in Barrington since 1957. He opened his first shop on Main Street and moved to his current Cook Street location four years later. Tourville served in the Air Force during the Korean War, and when he was discharged he had a wife and child to support. It was decision time.
“Growing up in Missouri, I worked in a pharmacy and really enjoyed myself,” he said. “I always wanted to be a pharmacist. But I had a family to support after Korea, and I had a choice: go to pharmacy school for five years or go to barber college for one year. I thought long and hard about it, and I enrolled at Moler Barber College.”
And Tourville has no regrets. “It’s provided a nice life for us,” he said. “My wife Marlene and I raised four kids (Derrick, Kimberlee, Cindy and Wendy Jo), and we have a nice house a few blocks from here on Dundee Avenue. We couldn’t afford the Corvettes and the ski vacations, but we never had any problems. Barbering has been very good to me.”
The pride that Tourville has in his work is obvious. He has dozens of “before and after” framed color photos of local youngsters’ first haircuts. In the back room there are hundreds of black-and-white photos of first haircuts dating to the late 1950s, and Ray the Barber remembers more than half the names.
He also has a soft spot in his heart for the town itself. Various flyers announcing upcoming local events hang on his bulletin board, including several announcements from American Legion Post 158, where Tourville is a member. And there’s a recent newspaper clipping offering an update on Dan Wilson, the former Barrington Bronco standout who is now a catcher for the Seattle Mariners.
Tourville said it hasn’t been a problem keeping up with changing hairstyles over the years. “Heck, you got guys around here who were getting flattop haircuts in 1957, and they’re still getting flattops,” he said. “Now you got kids coming in and asking for a spike haircut. You know what a spike is? It’s a flattop with a different name. Sure, we’ll add a racing stripe or a lightning bolt. Then it becomes a flattop with a stripe or a bolt.”
The secret to being a successful barber is that you have to like people. “I’ve found that my customers are really, really nice people,” he said. “Well, 99 percent of them anyway. And you have to be yourself all the time. Don’t put on a front; put a smile on your face and people will take to you. Our magazines may not always be up to date, but we make everyone feel welcome. And they keep coming back.”
At 62, Tourville said he has no retirement plans. He had health problems in 1988 and had to close his shop for a year. “Taking that year off wiped out my plans for retirement, at least for the time being,” he said. “But that’s OK. Cutting hair is what I do. We’re the last of a breed. They just don’t turn out barbers like they used to. Besides, things just wouldn’t be the same for me without my customers. There’s nothing like giving a little guy his very first haircut.”
Dave’s Barber Shop in Woodstock has been in business for 21 years, thanks to proprietor Dave Wolf. After graduating from Woodstock High School, Wolf was looking for a trade to support himself. After working in a factory for a few years, he went to barber college and cut hair as an apprentice in Crystal Lake and McHenry. Following service in the Army, when he was stationed in West Germany as a helicopter mechanic, he bought his shop on Dean Street in 1971.
Wolf, 48, figures he benefited by going into the barbering business at a time when longer hair was the popular style. “Guys would come in just to get their bangs trimmed, and that’s exactly what I did,” he said. “Of course, I charged them full price, since a haircut is a haircut, but it sure was an easy cut.”
Wolf said he knows his trade is dying, but he has 21 years worth of customers who stop by on a regular basis. “These days both men and women are getting a beauticians license,” he said. “Now you may ask, what’s the difference between a beautician and a barber? About 10 bucks a haircut. And there are enough people out there who know that.”
Woodstock fireman Boyd Kyle appreciates the value of the haircuts at Dave’s Barber Shop, along with the consistency. “It’s convenient, and Dave gets you in and out,” he said. “I’ve been to a salon a few times, and you get someone different every time. Dave is consistent, and I never have to tell him how I’d like my hair cut. I’ve been coming here since Dave opened his doors.”
At that point the question was posed to Kyle: If Dave’s been cutting hair for 25 or so years, he must be a very good barber, right? “Wait just a second,” Wolf said. “Before he answers that question, let me grab my razor over here.”
First Arlington Barber Shop on East Campbell Street in Arlington Heights is one of the oldest shops in the area, with a history dating to 1927. But the shop’s 36-year-old owner, Ken Callahan of Niles, is one of the area’s youngest barbering entrepreneurs.
The shop was owned from 1927 to 1967 by local magistrate William F. Neumann. Arlington Heights residents could pay their parking tickets and get their hair cut at the same time. The shop still has a key-punch cash register that Neumann would probably feel comfortable using, and the two huge stuffed sailfish provide a masculine touch.
Callahan began cutting hair at First Arlington 12 years ago, and he bought the shop in 1989. He has four full-time barbers, including himself. Barber Mike Hindes of Roselle has been cutting hair at First Arlington since 1957. “I think Mike came with the building,” Callahan said. Tom Myers of Hanover Park and Mario Vazzano of Mt. Prospect are the other two barbers at First Arlington.
Mike McClure of Wheeling stopped by First Arlington for a quick trim. “I like the idea that there’s no appointment necessary,” he said, settling into the red barber’s chair. “I appreciate the convenience, and the last thing I need is another appointment to worry about. And since I’ve been coming here for 13 years, there’s a comfort zone. I don’t have to explain to Ken how I like my hair cut. He knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Callahan is aware that traditional barber shops probably won’t be around forever, but he has no intention of going anywhere. “We offer people a place to relax and forget their problems for a little while,” he said. “We’re keeping a tradition alive, and it’s encouraging that we’re seeing more and more high school-age kids coming in for a haircut.”
Tourville, the Barrington barber, agrees. “With the high school kids these days, we’ll give them any cut they ask for, of course,” he said. “And we try to have a little fun with them too. Who knows? Maybe if they come in here and enjoy themselves, they’ll choose barbering as a career. We’re always looking for some new blood. … Oops, let me rephrase that. That’s a bad choice of words for a barber.”
