Elias Abboud, 80, in his living room in Ain al-Rummaneh, July 2026. (Credit: Nicolas Frakes)
Many people recently saw his sad face on social media. Yet nothing has changed in the small Ain al-Rummaneh barbershop of the man whose story has since gone viral. In the three oval mirrors of his workplace — and home — seemingly frozen somewhere between the 1960s and today, the white frames have yellowed with age. The light bulbs surrounding one of the mirrors cast a harsh glow, highlighting the damp-stained walls. Our series, Iconic Cortina ice cream, a fixture of Lebanese summers since 1965 In one corner, a worn glass display case, seemingly forgotten, holds hair products and plastic bags, while posters on the shopfront advertise flawless 1980s blond hairstyles that bear little resemblance to his own salon. At the center of this modest space, spared by neither time nor hardship, Elias Abboud waits for his customers. His shoulders...
Many people recently saw his sad face on social media. Yet nothing has changed in the small Ain al-Rummaneh barbershop of the man whose story has since gone viral. In the three oval mirrors of his workplace — and home — seemingly frozen somewhere between the 1960s and today, the white frames have yellowed with age. The light bulbs surrounding one of the mirrors cast a harsh glow, highlighting the damp-stained walls. Our series, Iconic Cortina ice cream, a fixture of Lebanese summers since 1965 In one corner, a worn glass display case, seemingly forgotten, holds hair products and plastic bags, while posters on the shopfront advertise flawless 1980s blond hairstyles that bear little resemblance to his own salon. At the center of this modest space, spared by neither time nor hardship, Elias Abboud waits for his customers. His...
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