Eli5. How did a red white and blue spiral pole become synonymous for barber shops?
In: 403
It’s been mentioned other places but barbers used to wear many hats, especially in more rural areas depending on the skills of the man they apprenticed under, practical surgery rather than book learning doctor stuff. They did everything from hair, shaving, leeching, bloodletting, circumcision, stitches, setting broken bones, amputations, prosthetics, dentistry, undertaker services (for when any of the rest goes wrong). The pole was a sign to the illiterate townsfolk, here’s where you get all the bloody services much like a big horseshoe indicates the blacksmith, a boot for the cobbler (shoemaker), or big scissors and thread shows you a tailor shop.
Latest Answers