The Last Barber (Pole) Standing

The William Marvy Company in St. Paul, Minnesota,is the last remaining manufacturer of commercial barber poles in North America. Here’s Autumn Haeg.

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Editor: Britt Aamodt

Producer: Autumn Haeg.

Editorial support: Emily Krumberger

Mixing & mastering: Chris Harwood

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Transcript

MN90 Intro: Welcome to MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds.

In 1950, amidst the evolving landscape of post-war America, William Marvy, a visionary, changed the esthetics of barbershops forever. At just 13, Marvy began working at a local Minnesota barber supply company. But he eventually got dissatisfied with the barber poles he sold on his route. So he decided to make his own. After his success of the iconic barber pole, Marvy introduced a line of sterile ray ultraviolet sanitizers, followed by Marvy’s side disinfectant and Marvy sanitizing jars. Today, the William Marvy Company is in St Paul. It is the last remaining manufacturer of commercial barber poles in all of North America. Over 89,000 poles have been produced since it started, with two Marvy poles earning a permanent spot at the Smithsonian Institution. The company has a significant parts inventory which helps them offer restoration of almost all barber poles made by US manufacturers.

MN90 Outro: MN90 is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, made possible by funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Online at mn90.org.