Barbershop

Miniature #18 – Constructed 03/2024

Fun Facts

The art of barbering dates back to Ancient Egypt when society viewed their barbers as priests. They removed hair with razors because people believed hair was a channel through which demonic spirits could enter the body. The first barber razors featured sharpened flint and oyster shells.

In medieval times, society referred to barbers as barber-surgeons, and they did a lot more for men than cut hair. These barber-surgeons performed surgeries, dentistry, bloodletting, leeching, and fire cupping. Of course, they did also cut hair.

The barber pole is one of the most iconic symbols associated with barbershops and has been a part of the profession for centuries. This symbol’s origin dates back to Medieval England when barber-surgeons performed bloodletting, believed to prevent disease or illness from entering a body.

During bloodletting procedures, patients were given a pole to grasp and white bandages were used to stop the bleeding. They would then tie the blood-soaked bandages to the pole and place it outside the shop to advertise their services. The traditional barber pole we know today was originally a symbol of bloodletting services.

Description

This piece was named after my young great-nephew, Liam. At 4 years old, he took his very first airplane ride, traveling from Massachusetts to Texas to visit me in the Fall of 2023.

Capetown needed a barbershop and I wanted to name it after my dear Liam. It makes me think of all the haircuts he would receive there and all the friends he would make while hanging around the neighborhood barbershop.

The barbershop sits on a 12″x12″ plywood base. The overall piece stands at 10.5″ high and the time invested to design and build was approximately 45 hrs.

Materials Used

The structural underlay of the barbershop was built with 2mm craft plywood with cutouts for the door and windows. The interior walls and ceiling were painted with acrylic paint. The windows were made from plastic sheeting.

The floor was made from foamboard with craft sticks attached and stained a Golden Oak color to resemble a real hardwood floor. Most of the interior furniture was made from wood blocks and popsicle sticks and painted with acrylic paint.

The exterior was constructed with popsicle sticks, 2mm craft plywood, and craft sticks. All of the exterior walls and trim were painted with acrylic paint. The roof shingles were made from black cardstock paper, sprayed with textured spray paint, and cut by hand to resemble realistic roof shingles.

The sidewalk, made from foamboard that was scored with a wire brush, was painted with acrylic paint to resemble an actual concrete sidewalk. Artificial grass was added along with a parking area to add a welcoming touch of realism to patrons stopping by for a haircut, shave, or to catch-up on town news.

Decals, both stock & custom designs, were provided by www.threeinchesunder.com.