What does the stripey red & white pole outside a barbers shop represent?

Answer 1

The modern barber pole originated in the days when bloodletting was one of the principal duties of the barber. The two spiral ribbons painted around the pole represent the two long bandages, one twisted around the arm before bleeding, and the other used to bind is afterward. Originally, when not in use, the pole with a bandage wound around it, so that both might be together when needed, was hung at the door as a sign. But later, for convenience, instead of hanging out the original pole, another one was painted in imitation of it and given a permanent place on the outside of the shop. This was the beginning of the modern barber pole.

Answer 2

This pole, painted spirally with two stripes of red and white and displayed outside barbers shops, derives from the days when barbers also practised phlebotomy. The pole represents the staff gripped by persons in venese action, which was painted red since it was usually stained with blood. The white spiral represents the bandage that was twisted around the arm before blood-letting began. The gilt knob at the end of the pole represents the brass basin, which was sometimes actually suspended from it. The basin, which had a notch in it to fit the throat, was used for lathering customers before shaving.
PS: Why are there so few of them around these days? And when you have your hair cut (male) why is it so difficult to find a barber who will also give you a really close shave as well with one of those cut throat razors? When I was a kid in the 50s these were always standard at barbers (not that I needed one then).

Answer 3

The striped red and white pole outside a barber's shop goes back to the 18th century when your local barber was a practising 'barber surgeon'. Patients could go to the 'barber surgeon' to be 'bled' thus relieving such as blood pressure and other ailments which were thought to be easted by the method of bleeding in those far of barbaric times.

Do remember, try to avoid going to Sweeny Todds in Fleet Street, London. You'll be bled alright; to death actually and your corpse chopped up and made into pies. Yeuk!

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http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/21/Barber-surgeons.html

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Answer 4

In times gone by the Barber was also the surgeon. The stripped pole represents a limb upon which the Barber(Surgeon) has operated. This is quite sensible because the barber was the only one with instruments remotely capable of carrying out delicate incisions

Answer 5

The poles have not always been red and white - different colors have been used.

The origin of the barber pole is associated with the service of bloodletting. During medieval times, barbers also performed surgery on customers. The original pole had a brass basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin which received the blood). The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow.

The red and white stripes symbolize the bandages used during the procedure: red for the blood-stained and white for the clean bandages. Originally, these bandages were hung out on the pole to dry after washing. As the bandages blew in the wind, they would twist together to form the spiral pattern similar to the stripes in the modern day barber pole. The barber pole became emblematic of the barber/surgeon's profession. Later the cloths were replaced by a painted wooden pole of red and white stripes.

This site explains it. Best of luck.

Answer 6

Barbers acted as doctors, at one time, and performed surgical/medical procedures. The red & white pole represents blood and bandages! Thank goodness we now have a National Health Service!!!

Answer 7

Barber pole, ca. 1938. Before barbers limited themselves to cutting hair and shaving beards, they performed surgery. Since the 1700s, the spiraling red and white stripes of the barber pole have symbolized the blood and bandages that were once part of the barber's trade.

Answer 8

Barbers used to be healers in the past, and one method of healing was blood letting, ie. puncturing the skin at a vein to allow blood out - This is the red bit on the pole. The White bit is the bandage.

Answer 9

Before Accident and Emergency Hospitals barbers used to be binders of wounds.

Hence the striped Red (blood) and White (bandage) poles outside up high so that they could be seen.

Answer 10

Its just a white pole, the red stripe was added because barbers could also pull teeth, hence lots of blood, the red strip represents blood.