Grady's Barber Shop

My grandfather's barber chair was like this one (thanks Frank Robinson). We girls visited once in awhile and Daddy Shaw (Mr. Grady) would let us ride up and down in the chairs! I'm so glad to have this picture!

Even though I don't remember there ever being a second barber at Grady Shaw's barber shop, there were two barber chairs in that shop, each upholstered in padded leather with slick, porcelain armrests.  And, if you were lucky when you went in for a trim, you would get to wait your turn sitting in the vacant barber chair.

After doing a little research I found that old chairs were made in Cincinnati, Ohio, between the early 1900's and 1950 by the famous maker of barber chairs, Eugene Berninghaus, with the model name,  “Hercules”, cast into the grill on metal footrests.  I remember when I was really young I thought it said, “Her Curls” and I couldn't figure out the connection to a “her” in a man’s barber shop, or how the extra "e" got in there.  I was a very naive child.

I found this picture of an old "Hercules" model Berninghaus chair on the internet and I'm pretty sure it is exactly like the ones in Mr. Grady's shop.  It came with a "child seat" that went across the handles, and I'm sure many of us got our very, first haircut in that little seat.