Our History

The Atlas Barber School was established in the City of New York in 1948. It is the only barber school still thriving in the old Barber School District, which was once located in the East Village. In its heyday, according to the Museum of the City of New York, The Bowery had as many as two barber schools per block. Today, Atlas Barber School is the only barber school left from that era and it is currently the oldest barber school in operation in New York State.

The school was originally housed at 87 Third Ave, New York, NY. It moved to the Times Square area at 670 Eighth Avenue (between 42nd and 43rd streets) in the 1950’s, but moved back to Third Ave where it is currently located (34 Third Ave).

During the time that the Atlas Barber School was located at Times Square, women were featured prominently in the “Manly Art of Barbering”. The New York Times on Oct 10, 1959, reported that the school had five women enrolled. At that time, women barbers were a rarity in the United States. Although men still dominate the barbering profession, women graduates and teachers from the Atlas Barber School steal the limelight from time to time.

These included Ms. Thelma Pollard, the first African American female in the Broadway unit of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylers Union. Ms. Pollard was involved in various Broadway musicals such as “Evita” and “Annie”. She was also the hair and makeup supervisor for “The Wiz”. Mr. Leo Galletta, one of the directors of the school at that time, worked for the Broadway Master Barber Association. Through this association, Mr. Galletta worked with the unions.

The 1970’s were a difficult time for barbers. It was the era of long hair that was thinning the barber ranks, according to the New York Times (Dec 31, 1970). The number of licensed shops fell from 12,700 to less than 10,000. The number of barber apprentices was dropping steadily. Six or seven barber schools in the city closed during this decade. According to Mr. Galletta, Atlas Barber School survived the Scissorless Seventies because it had a contract with a hospital's drug program, training patients. Today Atlas Barber School continues its ties with various social welfare programs in the city.

The school’s Faculty and students reflect the cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity of New York City. Some families boast generations that have gone through the portals of the Atlas Barber School since 1948. Siblings come to school together; uncles recommend the school to their nephews and nieces. Our students continue to keep the tradition alive for generations of families that make their living through the art of barbering.

Many Atlas Barber School students have gone on to become successful in their barbering career. Mr. Galletta himself was inducted into the Barbering Hall of Fame in 1999. Our recent graduates continue to do us proud by winning barbering competitions around the country.

In March 2009, the old Atlas Barber School logo was registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The school introduced its new logo in 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of its founding. Both logos are in use today.

The old Atlas Barber School at Times Square