Squint Shot 013109

Every town needs a barber's pole, and The Ville has one. It is constantly on the move, spinning so the red, white, and blue stripes appear to go downward. Quite hypnotic.
Easily recognizable as a place to stop in and get a trim . . . but, do you know the origin of the barber's pole? A bit surprising to me.

This pole originated in the days, as far back as the Medieval times, when blood-letting was one of the principal duties of a barber. The two spiral ribbons painted on the pole represent bandages; one for the bandage that was twisted around the arm before bleeding, and the other used afterwards. In today's society, this pole signifies a place for a trim and a shave, but hopefully no blood-letting.