Greenport History Blog: Shine Mister? Just Two Bits

There is so much to see in this old photo.....but it has been the original dead end of clues.

There is an online game some of us play from time to time — it has to do with a series of scenes that are rich with objects and common items e.g. balls, feathers, pinecones, books, eyeglasses — just lots of them and strewn all over in the picture and you are given just a few minutes to find them.  It is pretty mindless but then again so is TV or a lot of it. This photo could be from the game.

We spent a lot of time trying to identify the Model 62 stove or the lighthouse in the picture (pretty sure it is at Orient but it is just a rendering) and all to no avail.  We did figure it was about at the transition time for electricity as the shop is all oil lamps...but that doesn't give us much. 'Before such and such a date' can be just about any time.

We can imagine this shop in winter — the warm brownish glow from the oil lamp, the stove, the shoe shine chair with its warm wood turnings and rich leather seat — only that would do - the smell of the liniments mixed with the hot dry of the stove. The shoe shine boy not making a dime but perhaps happy to be warm with some potential reward in the offing.

The barber has something to say of course and talks about the village business when asked but mostly just concentrates and listens. As good a listener as he may be, he has also learned the art of discretion as there is no doubt that he hears more than the Priest at St. Agnes and is as perfectly silent on many issues.  

He is a professional - with his starched white frock and flawless technique.  No electric clippers here - just scissors with that small curl piece on one handle for the little finger - so he can get better control. At 7 p.m. sharp he turns off the gas lights and shuts the damper; the well worn coat hanging on the very far left has taken the heat from the stove and with a pull of a scarf and hat nattily worn over the perfect hair cut that he spent hours on in front of mirror (who else cuts the barber's hair?), he ushers the shine boy out into the night air.

We like this picture and the time. We surely do.