"Barbering Is an Art"
Character study Arthur Rubinoff, surrounded by memorabilia he’s been collecting for the NYC Barber Museum Shop, which he will open soon on the Upper West Side.Credit...Levi Mandel for The New York Times Arthur Rubinoff, 43, opened the roll down gate on a storefront along Columbus Avenue in Manhattan. “Coming Soon,” read a sign on the door. “NYC Barber Museum Shop.” Inside the space was under construction but already Mr. Rubinoff’s signature décor — with all the subtlety of Versailles — could be seen in the six ornate chandeliers being hung on a small ceiling and the elaborate gilded trim along the edges. “That’s all gold paint, 24 karat,” said Mr. Rubinoff, who owns the Reamirchain of shops in Manhattan and plans on opening the New York City Barber Museum by mid-June. “I’m doing it to give respect to all the barbers in the world, and to show that barbering is an art,” said Mr. Rubinoff, who explained that the museum, at Columbus Avenue, between 73rd and 74th Streets, w...