A barber's pole is the oldest distinguishable mark of any profession or craft. The helix of red, white and blue stripes is a most recognized symbol in many corners of the world. This line of business can be traced back to approximately 3500 BC when razor blades were found dating back to the Bronze Age. A short quote referring to this craft, "take thee a barber's razor," can also be found in the Bible.
Barbers and Surgeons
During the Middle Ages, barbers were multifaceted individuals. They cut hair and trimmed beards, pulled teeth and performed surgery (blood letting), which was one of their principal duties. A barber/surgeon was considered to be a respected and protected individual.
In London in 1745, a bill was passed to separate barbers and surgeons, which marked the decline of barbers as practitioners of medicine. This was brought about through a rise in the availability of medicine, developments in surgical processes and individuals complaining they were not feeling better after their respective procedures. By the end of the 18th century, most barbers had stopped performing surgery.
Blood Letting
Withdrawing large quantities of blood from a patient was believed to be prevention against many illnesses and diseases. Many of the same tools were used in both barbering and surgery, such as razor-sharp knives, scissors and other cutting implements. An individual functioning as both a barber and surgeon was a long-established conventional practice.
Surgical Procedures
To perform surgical or blood letting procedures, it was necessary for a patient to grasp a staff so the veins on his/her arm would stand out sharply. A basin was used to hold leaches and catch blood, and a large supply of linen bandages was required. Two spiral bandages were used during surgery, one was twisted around the arm before the bleeding began; the other was used to bind the arm afterward. When the procedure was over, the blood-strained washed bandages were placed on an outside pole to dry. Twirled by the wind, they would form a red and white spiral pattern.
Symbolic
All parts of a barber pole have symbolic meanings. The pole represented the staff that a patient gripped during the surgical procedure to encourage blood flow. The red color represented blood, the blue characterized the individual's veins, and the white signified the bandages used. The earliest poles also had a leach basin on top, which was eventually converted into a ball.
Signage
Originally, the pole with both bandages wrapped around it together was hung at the door as a sign or advertisement. Many years ago, people used symbols to denote their respective professions because the majority of individuals were illiterate. Later, instead of hanging out the original pole, an imitation was painted and given a permanent place outside the shop.
