About the Barber Pole

The barber pole’s colors are a legacy of a long-gone eras when people went to barbers not just for a haircut or shave but also for bloodletting and other medical procedures. During the Middle Ages bloodletting was a common treatment for a wide range of maladies from sore throat to plague. Barbers also took on such tasks as pulling teeth, setting bones, and treating wounds. Many became known as Barber-Surgeons.

In Europe, barber poles traditionally are red and white while in America, they are red, white, and blue. Thankfully today barber poles stand proudly identifying a barbershop!