Seven Generations

Caitlyn Greene

In 1971, Kenny Albert climbed up in the big chair at Estle Vowels’ barbershop. It was Kenny’s first haircut.

Nearly four decades later, Kenny gave Estle his last trim. Kenny makes sure his customers look good at their funerals.

“It’s kind of the last gift I can give them,” Kenny said.

Estle turned the shop over to Kenny five years ago. People in Vine Grove say it’s the oldest building in town and one of the oldest continuously operating barbershops in the state.

Outside, the freshly painted building on West Main Street looks young. Inside, more than 120 years have warped the ceiling and sloped the floor until the shop seems as weathered and wise as the old men loafing inside. The walls seep nostalgia. Country music mumbles out of dusty speakers. Deer heads and a picture of Estle watch over Kenny as he watches over the shop.

Kenny has cut three generations’ hair. Estle cut four.

“This is all people know,” longtime customer Joe Bartley said of the shop. “You don’t even think about it; this is just where you go. It’s like going to the post office.”

Albert's Barber Shop is filled with mementos and nostalgia. Photos of the shop in its youth remind customers of the history surrounding them. Newer decorations, including the heads of deer shot by Kenny and his two sons, represent the newer generations that fill his chair.

The barbershop on West Main Street is the oldest building in Vine Grove and one of the longest continuously operating barbershops in the state, locals say. Some have never gotten a haircut anywhere else. Estle Vowels, the shop's previous owner, passed away in October, leaving Kenny Albert in charge of keeping its legacy alive.

Men of all ages enjoy their simple treats and vices in the shop. For some, like Hayden Graham, 2, the lollipops and candy are the best part of a haircut.

Being a barber is like being a bartender, a counselor and a pawn shop owner, Kenny said. "It's personal," he explained. "I care about the people I cut." Kenny welcomes his customers with the warmth of an old friend. On the left, Kenny gives 95-year-old C. Alex Edelen a trim. On the right, 2-year-old Christian Brody Smith braves the scissors so he can get his lollipop.

The shop is a watering hole for local news, gossip and fellowship – for old and young alike. On the left, Welles and Reed Emery share a magazine while they wait for their haircuts. On the right, long-time customers G.D. Medley and Roy Sheroan reminisce. They've been coming to the barbershop for nearly 70 years.

"I remember all the guys laughing and cutting up," owner Kenny Albert says of his childhood in a barbershop. "It was really kind of scary as a kid going to get your first haircut."

Kenny Albert and previous owner Estle Vowels have cut a combined seven generations of hair in the shop.