Brown and Crawford's Barber Shop and Pool Room: Circa 1908.

About this photo
George Duncan Brown arrived in Kamloops in the early 1890s. He opened his first barber shop in the Dominion Hotel on Victoria Street West, in 1895. A year later he opened his own shop on Victoria Street, next door to Sibree Clarke's drug store. Clarke was Kamloops' first mayor in 1893, and perhaps it was that close association which encouraged Brown to run for alderman in 1899 and for many years thereafter.

Brown continued to expand his business, including adding a pool room to his barber shop in 1907. His short lived partnership with Crawford ended in 1908. Brown continued in business until the 1930s and remained politically active until his death in 1941.

In 2012
Photo: Paul de Zeeuw
Ardeo's on 4th and Seymour
Ardeo's is just one of several hair and beauty salons in Kamloops. Barber shops are still a mainstay of modern living but no longer enjoy the patronage it once held. Grooming is more about style than maintenance.

Today, men are just as likely to have their hair styled in a salon, particularly in years where fashion plays a more influential role. And it's not just hair that men pay attention to, though less common, cosmetics and manicures are also services offered for the discerning gentleman.

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