In late 1823 and early 1824, the United States was in the midst of a veritable wave of Philhellenism. Fundraisers and celebratory events were organized in various cities across the country to support the rebellious Greeks [1]. One of the cities that took the lead in these events was New York, where a Philhellenic Committee was established in December 1823. The wave of sympathy for the Greek Revolution, however, also spread to the surrounding areas of the state of the same name.
In the town of Ithaca, located in Tompkins County, northwest of New York City, a meeting of residents was held on New Year’s Day 1824 with the aim of supporting the struggling Greeks. In the days that followed, the residents of this small town raised money to send to Europe to support the Greek struggle. One of the citizens of Ithaca who enthusiastically supported this initiative was the town’s only barber, Robert Maines.
Ποιος ήταν ο Robert Maines
An African American barber in Virginia, U.S., in the mid-19th century (Source: www.ccpl.org)
We draw important information about Maines’s life from the book “Black Voices in Tompkins County—The 19th Century” by historian Carol Kammen, who has conducted in-depth research on the local history of Ithaca. Maines was an African American citizen born in 1805. In 1823, at the age of just 18, he settled in Ithaca and opened the city’s first barbershop [2]. His clientele included prominent local professionals, such as lawyers, bankers, and others. Upon arriving in the city, Maines had Charles Humphrey—who was the mayor of Ithaca—as his “patron.” In fact, Humphrey referred to Maines as the “Major General of sartorial splendor,” as the barber could be found in his shop working from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m.! [3] Maines was married to Matilda Lapsley, a white woman who was born in Canada. The barber remained with his family in Ithaca until the late 1830s and then moved to Iowa [4].
His Philhellenic activity
Robert Maines’s letter to the president of the Moral Society (Source: Ithaca Journal, 1/14/1824)
On 12 January 1824, inspired by the wave of sympathy and support for the Greeks, Maines undertook a significant and symbolic philhellenic act. As reported in the Ithaca Journal (issue of 14/1/1824), Maines donated the proceeds from an entire day’s business (Saturday) to aid the suffering Greeks. He himself drafted a letter to the president of the local Moral Society, asking him to forward the sum of $13.38 to the treasurer of the Philhellenic Fund in New York. In his letter, Maines explained the reasons that led him to this action, stating in particular: “It is the duty of all my fellow barbers, together with their fellow citizens—regardless of social class—who enjoy the blessing of freedom, to contribute to the relief of these brave people (Greeks), by whom the noble art of shaving was first practiced.”
The poem dedicated to Maines (Source: Ithaca Journal, 1/21/1824)
Maines’s act did not go unnoticed, as the local newspaper, in its next issue, sang the praises of the African American barber who was a friend of Greece. In the 21 January 1824 issue of the Ithaca Journal, we read that Maines—referred to by the columnist as “Robert the First”—was the Ithaca resident who collected and donated the largest sum of money! In fact, the author of the article emphasized that the purpose of this act was to bring prosperity, as it was significant.
At the end of the publication, there is also a poem in praise of Maines, signed with the pseudonym Byron! The entire poem is reproduced below:
I turn’ d my face to Robert Maine,
His patriotic skill to see!
And gazing there for a little time,
I said that GREECE must yet be FREE!
With a Grecian cut and a Grecian shave,
I could not deem one Greek a slave!
In summary, Maines can certainly be described as the “philhellene barber” of the Greek Revolution. His story demonstrates that the Greek Struggle inspired people from all over the world, regardless of age, profession, ethnic background, or socioeconomic status. For Maines, who lived in a country where slavery was an entrenched institution, the Greek Revolution represented a courageous struggle for individual emancipation and national independence.
Giorgos Giannikos
Warm thanks to historian Carol Kammen for her collaboration and for providing important bibliographic information, which was essential for the writing of this historical feature.
Bibliographic references:
[1] Santelli, M-C. (2021). American Philhellenism: The Impact of the 1821 Revolution on the United States (trans. D. Stavropoulos). Athens: Psychogios, pp. 15–16.
[2] Kammen, C. (2023). Black Voices in Tompkins County-The 19th Century. New York: Tompkins County Historical Commission, p. 25.
[3] Kammen, C., ό.π., σελ. 26-27.
[4] Kammen, C., ό.π., σελ. 28-29.
Additional Bibliography:
“Ithaca Journal,” issues of 1/14/1824 and 1/21/1824
Image Sources:
The images were obtained from the Charleston County Public Library (www.ccpl.org) and the “Ithaca Journal.”
