I remember growing up on the 1950’s..Every Man or boy had to have a fresh haircut once a month. If by any chance you had a special event to go to  in between that month such as Wedding, Bar mitzvah, Graduation, Funeral whatever you got another haircut. That’s the way it was back in the Old days. If your mother wasn’t on your case for getting a haircut then there was always a friend or relative that would steam up your mother my  mother had such a friend for the purpose of this story I shall omit her real name a refer to her as Gertrude  “You let your son walk around like that, without haircut “Yelled Gertrude to my mother.My 9mother would reply back “He don’t want to go to the barber what could I do.? Gertrude replied back” whose the boss you or him.. and my mother would give me instructions “Here’s the haircut money don’t come home with out one. You see  nobody wants. to go there years ago…the Barber Shops were hit and miss as far as getting a good haircut   years ago..you’d  walk in perhaps hair a bit long but none the less looking great …but  and you walk out looking like a shmuck/

er growing up on the 1950’s..Every Man or boy had to have a fresh haircut once a month. If by any chance you had a special event to go to  in between that month such as Wedding, Bar mitzvah, Graduation, Funeral whatever you got another haircut. That’s the way it was back in the Old days if your mother wasn’t on your case for getting a haircut.. There was always a friend or relative that would steam up your mother my  mother had such a friend for the purpose of this story I shall omit her real name a refer to her as Gertrude  “You let your son walk around like that, without haircut “Yelled Gertrude to my mother.My mother would reply back “He don’t want to go to the barber what could I do.? Gertrude replied back” whose the boss you or him.. and my mother would give me instructions “Here’s the haircut money don’t come home with out one. You see  nobody wanted tl go there years ago…the Barber Shops were hit and miss as far as getting a good haircut   years ago..you’d  walk in perhaps hair a bit long but none the less looking great …but most times you’d  walk out looking like a shmuck/

What struck out most was the Unacceptance if the Square Back as apposed to a tapered cut. In the 1950’s only the rough crowd.. The punks.. The hoodlums all had square Backs. Gertrude pointed out to my mother some unsavory teenage punks in our apartment bldg. who sported square backs…. Gertrude steamed up my mother & my mother told me when I came home from the Barber with one.. My mother made me go back and get it tapered I can’t tell you how many times that I heard the snide remark” ” Are you posing for Holy pictures or do you want a violin “?

  When I was in the service I came home on leave in Dec.27th 1967 and returned to my duty station Jan.12th 1968 everyone had clean cut Haircuts.. I used to phone home every Saturday from my duty station..Now it’s Mid February from Florida… My father asked are you growing your hair long? I told I have a crew cut plus every Monday we gave an inspection we gave to get white walls( high and close) My father informed me that along with long hair long sideburns are in too. When  I returned to N.Y.C. in March of 1968 long hair was the norm..even the old generations stopped going to the barbershop . Today  haircuts are in..I JUST THOUGHT THST I”D TELL EVERYONE HOW IT WEAS BACK IN THE DAY !

 MOSES LERMAN BLOG  ADMINISTRATOR & EDITOR