Question about the history of face-lathering and shaving brushes

[Sukeroku]

Is face lathering a relatively recent phenomena in wet-shaving?
Did barbers bowl lather or face-lather 100 years ago? In this regard,
were brushes floppier in the past because bowl lathering was the preferred
method of applying/making lather? Are brushes with lots of backbone a
modern innovation/preference?

 

[Mark1977]

I'd like to know as well.

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[EclipseRedRing]

I suspect barbers lathered in the bowl then just left the brush in the bowl between customers so as to be as economical as possible with the lather. I doubt they cleaned the bowl and brush for each customer. They could probably prepare a lather bowl in the morning and use it for the entire day if not more. Face lathering would use more lather over the course of the day I suspect. Maybe that is the reason. I am guessing here, interesting question

 

[Atlantic59]

Is face lathering a relatively recent phenomena in wet-shaving?
Did barbers bowl lather or face-lather 100 years ago? In this regard,
were brushes floppier in the past because bowl lathering was the preferred
method of applying/making lather? Are brushes with lots of backbone a
modern innovation/preference?

I think it is easier when you are shaving someone else to build a generous supply of lather in a bowl and then use that throughout the shave. There's also less chance of irritating the customer's skin that way. As a barber, you have a few minutes to do something else while softening the customer's beard with hot towels. Why not build some lather during that time?

If you are shaving yourself, you can skip a step. The classic way for someone to shave at home decades past, was to use a mug of soap. They would load the brush in the mug, maybe build a little "proto-lather", then apply it to the face and finish building the lather that way.

 

[samhain666]

If you are shaving yourself, you can skip a step. The classic way for someone to shave at home decades past, was to use a mug of soap. They would load the brush in the mug, maybe build a little "proto-lather", then apply it to the face and finish building the lather that way.

Well said

 

[BigJ]

I think it is easier when you are shaving someone else to build a generous supply of lather in a bowl and then use that throughout the shave. There's also less chance of irritating the customer's skin that way. As a barber, you have a few minutes to do something else while softening the customer's beard with hot towels. Why not build some lather during that time?

If you are shaving yourself, you can skip a step. The classic way for someone to shave at home decades past, was to use a mug of soap. They would load the brush in the mug, maybe build a little "proto-lather", then apply it to the face and finish building the lather that way.

+1! This is my supposition also. I have no data to support this but it seems reasonable.