"Barbershops are synonymous with great memories, and nostalgic by the smells and feeling of a fresh cut or shave. Barbershops of America is the product of a 7-year journey by Rob Hammer, who traveled to all 50 states of the USA, documenting the disappearing old-school barbershop and the men who were staples of their community. Photographs and stories chronicle the barbershops of old, but also capture the stark contrast that is the "next generation" of traditional barbers. These new-school barbers may look like the polar opposite of what a traditional barber would look like, yet despite the obvious difference in the way these professionals carry themselves, their purpose is consistent: to carry on the tradition that they love."--Back cover

Examines the history of black-owned barber shops in the United States, from pre-Civil War Era through today.

This is the first volume ever to explore old-time barbershop items: poles, chairs, mugs, bottles, razors, signs, and much more. It documents the occupational history of traditional barbershops, which are fading today. More than 900 items appear in over 650 color photographs with current market prices.

What is the best way to understand black political ideology? Just listen to the everyday talk that emerges in public spaces, suggests Melissa Harris-Lacewell. And listen this author has--to black college students talking about the Million Man March and welfare, to Southern, black Baptists discussing homosexuality in the church, to black men in a barbershop early on a Saturday morning, to the voices of hip-hop music and Black Entertainment Television. Using statistical, experimental, and ethnographic methods Barbershops, Bibles, and B.E.T offers a new perspective on the way public opinion and ideologies are formed at the grassroots level. The book makes an important contribution to our understanding of black politics by shifting the focus from the influence of national elites in opinion formation to the influence of local elites and people in daily interaction with each other. Arguing that African Americans use community dialogue to jointly develop understandings of their collective political interests, Harris-Lacewell identifies four political ideologies that constitute the framework of contemporary black political thought: Black Nationalism, Black Feminism, Black Conservatism and Liberal Integrationism. These ideologies, the book posits, help African Americans to understand persistent social and economic inequality, to identify the significance of race in that inequality, and to devise strategies for overcoming it.

Fine art photography book of deserted basketball courts from all across America made during 8+ years and 200,000+ miles of travel by Rob Hammer

120 page coffee table book of old barbershops from all 50 states of the USA.

They advocated economic independence from whites and founded insurance companies that became some of the largest black-owned corporations.--L. Diane Barnes "Alabama Review"