At the Sign of the Barber's Pole: Studies In Hirsute History

Delving into the surprisingly tangled world of hair, beards, and blades, this study uncovers how barbers shaped more than just appearances. From their medieval roots as healers wielding leeches and bloodletting tools to their flamboyant role in Tudor courts, the narrative follows the evolution of a trade that straddled medicine, fashion, and politics. Along the way, readers meet the wigs that crowned Parliament’s members and the iconic striped pole that signaled a surgeon‑barber’s services to weary travelers.

Richly illustrated with period prints—from Elizabethan shop interiors to Henry VIII’s royal barbers—the book weaves together scholarly research, contemporary anecdotes, and curious folklore. It examines the symbolism of facial hair in everything from the Bayeux Tapestry to 17th‑century conspiracies, and reveals how the barber’s pole became a lasting emblem of public health and community identity. A lively, well‑sourced portrait of a trade that has always been at the cutting edge of society.