Interior Sketch of a Barbershop in Bridgeport
Drawing
A hand-drawn pencil sketch depicting the interior layout of a barbershop, featuring barber chairs, a worktable with bottles and tools, shelving, a mirror, and architectural details such as windows and a high ceiling. The perspective drawing provides depth, illustrating the furniture arrangement and shop interior.
The inscription suggests that this is Mr. Latimer’s barbershop in Bridgeport, dated 1850. Given that Lewis H. Latimer was born in 1848, this sketch may relate to his father, George Latimer, who was a formerly enslaved man who fled to freedom. The drawing provides historical insight into early African American entrepreneurship and community spaces in the mid-19th century.
Latimer Family Papers (1870-1996 ) [QPL Full Collection]
Handwritten text near the bottom reads: "Mr. Latimer’s Barber Shop in Bridgeport 1850."