STRANDS OF LOVE by SHURAN HUANG
STRANDS OF LOVE by SHURAN HUANG
Mr. Charleston, This book is for you, your family and your customers. You've made me a better person and the world a better place.
Introduction It is a brisk fall day in 2017. Charleston Collins Sr. is with a customer. Bespectacled and dressed in a black jacket, he snips, chops and combs with a purpose, as if his life depends on it. Family photos line the walls of the 50-year-old barbershop, and a family chatters about the latest happenings in the neighborhood while waiting for their turn. Signs on the walls reflect the culture of the place, like "Absolutely no foul language" and "Keep your pants pulled up.” Fluorescent light bounces off the smooth, black leather chairs as well as the barber's intense furrowed brow. The door opens. He relaxes his brow and looks up. "How are you doing, young lady?" he softly greeted me. The master barber — Mr. Charleston as I call him — is unaware of my mission to document his life’s work over the next 12 months. In 1970, Carlton Collins Jr., Mr. Charleston's father, opened the first Collin’s Barber Shop on Fayette Street in Syracuse, New York. In 1983, Collins Jr. and his wife, Juanita Collins, purchased a house at the corner of South Crouse Avenue and Fayette Street. Soon after, Juanita started running a beauty shop upstairs, so the barbershop was renamed Collin's Barber & Beauty Shop. Mr. Charleston, their youngest son, began working at the shop and learning the family business at the age of 24, after working in Allwash of Syracuse, Inc. for two years, which is a company removing hazardous waste. When Carlton passed away in 2014, Mr. Charleston continued to maintain the safe and respectful space his father and mother worked so hard to nurture. In fact, it is his emphasis on relationships and attention to detail that has earned him a loyal core of longtime customers. But Mr. Charleston's connection to his community reaches far beyond the walls of the barbershop because he genuinely cares about people, especially about the next generation. He serves as a deacon at Central Baptist Church and teaches in its children’s ministry. He supports local youth as a volunteer coach at Inner City Little League, a position he's held for 22 years. He gives complimentary haircuts to people in need at shelters, churches and other nonprofit organizations. Mr.Charleston is a mentor, a father figure and a good friend. Two years ago, I became a photographer because I wanted to document romantic relationships; I thought I would work in the wedding industry. However, this project with Mr. Charleston helped me realize that my interest in photography goes beyond that. I now know that my calling is to give a voice to unsung heroes — the Mr. Charlestons of the world who make a difference every day in their communities. He may not grace the TV screen or magazines, yet to so many, Mr. Charleston is a celebrity and local hero. This became quite clear when I asked more than 20 of his customers to write down their impressions of and connection to Mr. Charleston. Each note illustrated his impact on their lives and in the community. As an international student from East Asia, I’ve visited many parts of the world and learned many languages, customs and cultures. Yet in all my travels, none of my experiences has taught or affected me more than the year I spent documenting Mr. Charleston, a man of God, a man of impact, a man of compassion, a man of loss, a man of love, a man of family and a man of redemption. This body of work reflects his life and character. I hope you enjoy the images and his story as much as I enjoyed collecting them for you.
STRANDS OF LOVE by SHURAN HUANG
APRIL 13, 2018 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 13, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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JULY 09, 2018 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 20, 2018 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 19, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 14, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 17, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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APRIL 13, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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MAY 30, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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APRIL 18, 2018
COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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JULY 03, 2018 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 17, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 17, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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JUNE 02, 2018 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 17, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 14, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 14, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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OCTOBER 14, 2017 COLLIN'S BEAUTY & BARBER SHOP
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APRIL 22, 2018 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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APRIL 22, 2018 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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MAY 03, 2018 ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL
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MAY 03, 2018 ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL
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JULY 14, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET
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LEFT: APRIL 02, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET
RIGHT: MAY 25, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET
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APRIL 02, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET
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OCTOBER 16, 2017 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET
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MARCH 18, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE ON CLARENDON STREET
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LEFT: OCTOBER 16, 2017 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET RIGHT: JUNE 02, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE CLARENDON STREET 37
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APRIL 02, 2018 JUANITA'S HOUSE ON CLARENDON STREET
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OCTOBER 16, 2017 JUANITA'S HOUSE ON CLARENDON STREET
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MARCH 25, 2018 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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OCTOBER 15, 2017 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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OCTOBER 15, 2017 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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OCTOBER 18, 2017 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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OCTOBER 16, 2017 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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JUNE 10, 2018 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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JUNE 10, 2018 CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH
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APRIL 15, 2018 EMMA L. JOHNSTON SOUTHSIDE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
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APRIL 15, 2018 EMMA L. JOHNSTON SOUTHSIDE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
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APRIL 15, 2018 EMMA L. JOHNSTON SOUTHSIDE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
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FEBRUARY 25, 2018 PEOPLE'S AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
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FEBRUARY 25, 2018 PEOPLE'S AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
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FEBRUARY 25, 2018 PEOPLE'S AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH
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APRIL 19, 2018 PAPA'S SPORTS FULL COURT BATTING CENTER
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APRIL 26, 2018 PAPA'S SPORTS FULL COURT BATTING CENTER
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APRIL 24, 2018 PAPA'S SPORTS FULL COURT BATTING CENTER
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JULY 09, 2018 COLLIN'S BARBER & BEAUTY SHOP
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MAY 07.2018 HOMER WHEATON PARK
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MAY 29, 2018 HOMER WHEATON PARK
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MAY 29, 2018 HOMER WHEATON PARK
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MAY 29, 2018 HOMER WHEATON PARK
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MAY 29, 2018 HOMER WHEATON PARK
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JUNE 10, 2018 COMFORT TYLER PARK
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JUNE 10, 2018 COMFORT TYLER PARK
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JUNE 10, 2018 COMFORT TYLER PARK
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JUNE 10, 2018 COMFORT TYLER PARK
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JUNE 10, 2018 COMFORT TYLER PARK
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OCTOBER 18, 2017 COLLIN'S BARBER & BEAUTY SHOP
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THOUGHTS FROM CUSTOMERS
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OCTOBER 17, 2017 ROBERT REED
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OCTOBER 20, 2017 SHARI POWELL
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OCTOBER 20, 2017 RICKEY JENKINS
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JUNE 01, 2018 JOSHUA IVEY
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OCTOBER 19, 2017 LINDA DONALDSON
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MARCH 27, 2018 HENRY MELCHOR
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CAPTIONS
LEFT: Charleston Collins Sr., 56, sits at the work station he used for 32 years until moving to the one his father previously occupied.
LEFT: Mary Collins, Charleston’s wife, 56, continues her mother-in-law Juanita’s business by running the beauty salon upstairs.
RIGHT: Charleston’s oldest hair clipper.
RIGHT: The oldest curling iron Mary inherited from Juanita.
LEFT: Juanita Collins, 83, sits below family photos in the living room of her house. RIGHT: The first dollar Carlton Collins Jr. made at Collin’s Barber Shop.
LEFT: Ga’verri Jones-Collins, Charleston's grandson, 10, sits for a portrait below an air-brush painting of his great grandfather.
Charleston Collins Sr. trims his own beard one morning while waiting for customers.
Charleston works on Linda Donaldson, a high school friend he has known for 40 years.
RIGHT: A comb Carlton and Juanita purchased in South of The Border, South Carolina, while traveling.
LEFT: Also a barber at the shop, Eric Collins, one of Charleston's two older brothers, waits for customers in his favorite chair.
A 1980s photo of Carlton and Juanita Collins hangs inside the barbershop in the same spot it was taken.
RIGHT: Eric’s razor and shaving mug.
Juanita chats with longtime customer Ricky Jenkins while Charleston shaves his head.
CAPTIONS
For six years, Linda Donaldson, 54, has been a customer of both the salon upstairs and Charleston's barbershop, depending on her hairstyle at the time.
Juanita doesn't trust other barbers to cut her hair, only Charleston.
Customers wait their turn while Charleston works at his father's old station and chats with Todd Sullivan, a volunteer with the Chinese-American Friendship Association, which partners with Charleston's church.
The barbershop, at South Crouse Avenue and East Fayette Street, is around the corner from the site of the original shop. After Carlton passed away, Common Councilor Helen Hudson renamed the spot “Carlton Collins Corner,” honoring the family's significant role in the community's history.
Mary Collins has been running the beauty shop for 26 years. Here, she curls a customer's hair using an old-fashioned iron that Juanita gave her.
While waiting for her hair to dry, Dorothy Reed jokes with Mary, who has been her only stylist since Dorothy moved from Florida in 2002.
Charleston sharpens his razor between customers. Charleston gets ready to do a hot-towel shave on his last customer of the day, Michael Battle, a longtime customer. The barbershop's hallway provides access to the beauty shop upstairs.
Charleston prepares to work on Domonic Hill, 35, who has been a barber there for one year.
A painting of Juanita hangs on the wall in the waiting area of the beauty shop, honoring her 14 years of work there.
Recently hired "clean-up man," Julian Davis, 16, often plays chess with Charleston during breaks.
Bill Hines, 69, who has been friends with Charleston since he became a customer 23 years ago, checks out his new haircut in the mirror.
CAPTIONS
Charleston's brother Eric Collins has been working at the barbershop for 40 years. Here, he says goodbye to Charleston's granddaughter Ariya Williams, 2, as she leaves.
A nurse transfers Mason Williams' footprint onto a birth document.
Charleston and his four siblings grew up in the house on Clarendon Street where Juanita currently lives. Charleston and Mary hosted a baby shower for their oldest daughter, Tanisha Williams, who is expecting her second child.
Charleston accompanies his 19-month-old granddaughter, Kadija Collins, who recently learned to walk.
Anthony Williams and his daughter, Ariya, check on her mother, Tanisha Williams, after she delivered her and Anthony's newborn son, Mason.
Hundreds of Collins family photos ďŹ ll the table and walls of his childhood living room.
Juanita ordered engraved glasses for each of her and Carlton's 60 anniversaries. The 50th anniversary glass sits on a shelf in the dining room.
After dinner, Juanita relaxes at the dining table, where she spends much of her day reading the Bible and where she keeps daily necessities within easy reach.
Juanita takes 17 types of medication every day. Charleston carefully sorts her doses in a weekly pill organizer.
Charleston has stayed with his mother every Sunday and Wednesday since his father passed away in 2014. Here, they watch television together on a Sunday night.
Juanita recalls her 60 years of marriage with Carlton in the bedroom they used to share, which they decorated in their favorite color.
CAPTIONS
For decades, Juanita has been saving Valentine's Day chocolate boxes she has received from Carlton, Charleston and other family members.
Ga’verri Jones-Collins attends a Sunday worship service with his grandparents, Charleston and Mary.
During "Children's Church" at Central Baptist, Maya Jenkins, 10, tastes different sauces for a lesson about getting to know God.
Charleston explains Bible verses to Tamar Mason, 10, who dreams of becoming a preacher. Charleston cooks breakfast for his mother every Monday and Thursday morning and has done so since his father passed away.
Charleston, Mary and their youngest son have been attending Central Baptist Church for about 18 years. Juanita became a member there four years after Carlton passed away. Here, Charleston helps her to the car after a Sunday service.
Charleston provides free haircuts for 30 people at the One Haircut at a Time event, supported by the local Pi Chapter of Latino America Unida, Lambda Alpha Upsilon Fraternity at Syracuse University and P.E.A.C.E., Inc, a nonprofit community-based organization in Syracuse. Juanita, who has difficulty walking, takes the chairlift downstairs as she leaves the house for church.
Charleston monitors the audio/visual equipment during a weekly Bible study session at his church.
Charleston trims Melvin Rutledge's beard during the One Haircut at a Time event at the Emma L. Johnston Southside Family Resource Center.
Charleston attends a men's Sunday school session.
In addition to the main sanctuary, the education center at Central Baptist Church is used for Bible study sessions and classes every week.
CAPTIONS
James Rivers, 62, a maintenance worker at the Emma L. Johnston Southside Family Resource Center, jokes with barbers during the One Haircut at a Time event.
Charleston, who volunteers as a coach at Inner City Little League, gives the Mountain Lions some tips at Papa's Sports' Full Count Batting Center.
Charleston reminds his players how to properly swing during a break between innings.
Charleston, who has been a volunteer baseball coach for 22 years, gets ready to receive a pitch. Charleston and his players pump themselves up before a game.
Charleston cuts hair for Syracuse youth at the second annual Mid-year Replenishing and Refueling Event, hosted by People's African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Charleston hands out T-shirts to his players and reviews the game schedule with their parents.
Tahjere Dowdell, 11, throws a few pitches to catcher Ga'verri Jones-Collins between innings.
During the second annual Mid-year Replenishing and Refueling Event, a young customer's mother tells Charleston the kind of haircut she wants for her son.
The Miami Dolphins have been Charleston’s favorite team since he was 10. He gave his son Tenell Collins this helmet as a Christmas gift, but he still keeps it at his work station.
After getting a haircut at the second annual Mid-year Replenishing and Refueling Event, a young customer makes a thank you card for Charleston.
Charleston motivates Zion Singletary, 9, between innings.
CAPTIONS
Assistant coach Joshua King high-ďŹ ves his players before they shake hands with their opponents after winning the game.
Barbara Coleman-Lyons and Dianne Holmes, members of Central Baptist Church, play Spades at the cookout.
After Carlton passed away, Charleston and Mary realized that loneliness is a problem for the elderly, including their mother Juanita. They now regularly host cookouts and other events for senior citizens in the community.
Juanita enjoys spending time at the barbershop when the weather is warm. Meanwhile, a brand new apartment building is under construction across the street.
Guests gather for lunch at Comfort Tyler Park in Syracuse for this year's senior citizen cookout, as Charleston and Mary prepare food for the crowd.
Mary fries ďŹ sh for guests at the cookout.
This book was made possible by the generous support of The Collins Family Mike Davis Gregory Heisler Christal Johnson Cathaleen Curtiss Bruce Strong Claudia Strong Nicole Werbeck Nancy Borowick Rachel Wine Danese Kenon Milton Kornegay Derek Gee Nathan Eaton Derrick Ingle Pim Leeuwenkamp Valeria Ines Rojas Peter Benson Xu Ruowen Li Sa Guo Jia