Board seeks recognition for barber museum

ThisWeek CW 07/07/2011

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/canalwinchester/stories/2011/07/06/board-seeks-recognition-for-barber-museum.html?sid=104

Through a small doorway, tucked in between a corner building at Waterloo and High streets and the Wigwam Restaurant, is a staircase leading to what residents contend is the world’s only barber museum — a unique attraction that its new board of directors hopes to promote nationally.

Mike Ippoliti, Howard Warner, Marian Harris, Rita Manglona, James Schwarz, Karen Stiles and Mike Coolman have been appointed to the board by the Canal Winchester Historical Society, which owns the museum at 2 1/2 S. High St. in Canal Winchester.

A set of advisors to the board also has been named: Bruce Jarvis, Bob Garvin, Mayor Michael Ebert and Kim Rankin.

“We’ve got something no one else in the world has,” Ebert said.

He hopes the museum will become a focus for tourism, which will help it survive and be a benefit to downtown business.

“It’s overwhelming to think this museum started with one man’s dream,” said Warner, who also is the director of the State of Ohio Barber Board. “Canal Winchester should be very proud to have this collection. (The museum board) hopes to move the museum to the ground floor in the future and is promoting it nationally. This is the only barber museum in the world.”

Canal Winchester resident Ed Jeffers started the museum in 1988 with just 10 items, after spending 45 years as a barber. Now, according to museum director Mike Ippoliti, there are two complete barbershops in storage, more than 2,000 razors, 71 barber poles and more, all of which museum volunteers are working to catalogue.

“People continue to donate stuff,” Ippoliti said. “The first time I walked up (to the museum) after (Jeffers) died, I thought, ‘What is all this stuff?’ We’ve got a couple of interns who are working on cataloging everything. Fortunately, we have a videotape of (Jeffers) giving a tour so that we were able to learn some of what was what.”

According to Warner, Ippoliti is filling Jeffers’ role well.

“He has done an awesome job,” Warner said. “I grew up in a barbershop and have been a barber for 50 years now, and after watching him give the tour, Mike, who was never a barber, has even taught me things I didn’t know.”

In recent years, the museum has hosted several national barber groups, according to Ippoliti.

“Last year, the National Barber Board convention met here,” he said. “The (museum) board is specifically made up of people who know how to fund-raise, which is going to be important to take the museum to the next level.”

A July 31 golf outing to raise money for the barber museum is planned for 12:30 p.m. at St. Alban’s Golf Course in Alexandria, Ohio. Ippoliti said there is still space for foursomes. Those interested can call the museum at (614) 837-8400.

Warner said the barber industry remains strong “despite the economy.”

“We’ve got 9,200 licensed barbers in Ohio with 20 schools,” he said. “One of the largest is the new Salon Schools Group on Gender Road in Canal Winchester.”

The board is currently looking for volunteers to open the museum to the public for limited, regular hours each week, according to Ippoliti.

Individuals and groups interested in a museum tour, volunteering or making donations, can call the museum.