Photographic postcard of J. J. Cotten Barbershop

Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

A black-and-white photograph postcard of a thriving barbershop in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, circa 1910. Captured in the midst of various grooming services, this rare portrait shows a small but full shop; men being shaved, one man having his shoes shined, two men standing at a glad counter, and several other men seated or standing – and all looking towards the camera. Barbershops played a vital role in the cultural and economic development of African American communities. It was a space where African American men interacted with each other, regardless of age, class, education, occupation, etc., serving as the backbone of many black communities and their role of strengthening black male identity in America was vital. At the bottom of left of the postcard picture, in dark ink, is the inscription: [JJ Cotten Shop / Okl.]. According to Cowan’s Auctions, “census records and city directories list a Jessie J.

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