Traditional Barbershop
As much as I try to embrace social media, it’s difficult to genuinely say anything positive about it sometimes. Every once in a while though, something happens that makes me think twice about. A few days ago I posted this image of a traditional barbershop in Marfa, Texas on my @barbershopsofamerica Instagram account, which was re-posted as a story by Visit Marfa. If you don’t know anything about Marfa, it’s a tiny but growing town in the middle of Nowhere,Texas. That day I received a direct message from a woman that had seen their story and was filled with sentimental feelings, as she used to know the shop and the owner. She went back to look at it again later and noticed that the man in the chair was her father, who had passed away two years ago from cancer. The image caused her to cry some happy tears and she asked about purchasing a print. Turns out we live 15 minutes from each other! So this morning I drove to her house to deliver some prints and a copy of Barbershops of America. Social media isn’t all bad!
This project has been going on for 10 years now. Hard to believe. Aside from the obvious joy it gives me to make theses images, it’s the auxiliary things that really make it special. The people I’ve met out of pure coincidence or from having shared interests will keep this series going forever.
Click here to purchase a copy of Barbershops of America.
Contact me directly if you’d like to purchase prints of my barbershop photography - rob@robhammerphotography.com
