There’ s a Norman Rockwell painting— one of his many Saturday Evening Post covers— of a barbershop quartet, including a customer getting a shave, everybody singing. Rockwell painted barbershop scenes a few times, and you can see most of them at his namesake museum in Stockbridge. Back in the day, a barbershop was often a community hub, and, in some places, it still is. You went in for a trim and came out having discussed the ballgame, the weather, and solved half of local political issues.
I’ ve spent the last couple of weeks searching for traditional barbershops throughout Berkshire County, from North Adams to Great Barrington, and have sat in a few of those chairs myself, barber cape draped around me, tightly clipped to my neck, trying to figure out if that Rockwell version of a barbershop still exists anywhere outside of a painting. It turns out, the traditional barbershop is alive and well in the Berkshires.
Barbershops vs. Hair Salons
A hair salon and a barbershop aren’ t the same thing, technically speaking. A barber trains specifically on men’ s hair, mastering razor and scissor work, including fades, tapers, clean necklines, and scissors often clipping a sculpture of a man’ s head; whereas a stylist’ s training is broader, including color and chemical treatments and more stylized hair designs. In a barbershop, what you notice first is the room. A barbershop has a rhythm and usually a slow pace: the buzz of clippers; perhaps a ballgame on a mute TV in the corner with music setting the vibe; somebody’ s kid doing homework in a row of waiting chairs; copies of Berkshire Magazine or car, sports, and hunting magazines on a coffee table or in a rack; and, multiple conversations going on at once.
And the hot towel shave! Reporting this story, I remembered how I’ ve missed this small, private ritual. A steaming towel over the face to open the pores, a warm lather
Opposite page, Barber Aaron Christopher and client Todd Rennie at Christopher’ s Cuts, 102 River St., North Adams. From top, barber Steven Hickson and client Vernon Leyde at Steve’ s Barber Shop, 97 Main St., Lee; outside of Mike’ s Professional Barber Shop, 91 Main St., Lee; Alec“ The Razor” Foisy with the writer, Castoldi’ s, 764 Tyler St., Pittsfield; barber Michael Stubbs and client Connor Lee at Limited Editions Barber Shop, 84 Summer St., Adams.
Fall 2026 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // 83