When the Civil War ended, approximately 4 million African Americans were emancipated from slavery, but they were denied access to education, savings, and property. For some of these individuals, the profession of barbering provided a promising opportunity for economic independence and a way to establish social connections.
For nearly half a century, the most respected and successful barbers in Reading, Pennsylvania were five African American brothers who were once enslaved on a plantation in George County, Virginia. Their names were Andrew, Moses, Johnson, Charles, and Lee Terry.
The Terrys learned their craft in the 1850s. When Charles and Johnson returned from their service in the Civil War, the family established a new business in 1866, known as Terry Brothers. The Terry Brothers were savvy entrepreneurs, and they promoted their business with advertisements such as:
“The Terry Brothers are now in full operation, under the Mansion House, where they have 4 chairs mustered into service and prepared to accommodate all who come. They also offer their services to the ladies and gentlemen, who desire to have their hair cut, hair dyeing, or shampooing at their place of residence.”
Of particular interest is the advertisement which notes that they would “accommodate all who come,” suggesting that they served both white and African American clients. Desegregated barbershops were less rare in the north, but they were certainly not universal.
As the original brothers retired, their sons and nephews continued in the profession, ensuring that Terry barber shops continued thriving into the 20th century. When the last family barbershop finally closed, the family had been serving customers in Reading for 80 years!
Written by Bradley Smith, Archivist of the Berks History Center
Jhonny porfavor pon esta palabras con las fotos:
Photo caption 1: This photograph taken around 1885 shows Moses Terry, Sr., and his sons, Charles, Robert, Moses, Jr., and Randolph. All four sons followed in their father’s footsteps and became barbers.
Photo caption 2: The Terry Brothers barbershops might have resembled this establishment, photographed in Philadelphia in 1896. Courtesy, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.
