Written by Dana Thomas Wednesday, 11 July 2012 08:50
Historically, the barber was a man of many trades; surgeon, chiropractor and dentist. In fact, the red and white striped barber pole comes from the days when bloodletting was one of the principal duties of the barber. The two spiral ribbons painted around the pole represent two long bandages, one twisted around the arm before bleeding and the other used to bind it afterward.