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Two side-by-side portraits of a person wearing a navy blue T-shirt with “Samurai” printed on the chest. In the second image, the person appears flushed and their shirt is damp with sweat.

From haircuts to weird English pastimes James O Jenkins has it covered

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Date
12 April 2012

“Nice hair!” is a classic phrase. “Have you had a haircut?” is even better. The difference in appearance after a mere haircut is pretty marvellous. James Jenkins, documenter of mundane weirdness, has taken a charming series of before-and-after shots of people at the barbers, competing in sports matches and even skydiving. His other projects include a fascinating insight into the Queen’s guard and a hilarious series of images documenting strange, British, ritualistic sporting events. See you at the Whittlesea Straw Bear Man Festival!

Two side-by-side portraits of a person wearing glasses, a striped shirt and a tie. In the second image, their hair is styled into a small, spiked peak at the top.
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James O Jenkins: Before and After – Kevin Hudson (Mr Toppers Haircut)

Two side-by-side portraits of a person with a moustache, wearing a grey suit and a pink tie. The image on the right shows a slight change in their facial expression.
Above

James O Jenkins: Before and After – Lester Wagman (Mr Toppers haircut)

Two side-by-side portraits of a person wearing a burgundy jumper. In the first, they have longer, unstyled hair; in the second, their hair is neatly trimmed and styled.
Above

James O Jenkins: Before and After – Hamid Vaghefian (Mr Toppers Haircut)

Two side-by-side portraits of a person wearing a red hoodie and a blue and black parachute harness. The harness straps feature the “Icon” logo and the word “Bench”.
Above

James O Jenkins: Before and After – Garteh Thomas (Skydivers)

A person stands against a plain white background, wearing a white tank top and white trousers. The top features illustrations of three birds and floral motifs, paired with a wide, blue velvet waistband decorated with small flowers and a butterfly.
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James O Jenkins: Cumbrian Wrestling

A person wears a voluminous, red tinsel costume adorned with long strips of fabric. They hold and play a black accordion against a plain white background.
Above

James O Jenkins: Otterbourne Mummers

A sculpture of a human figure made from textured green moss and organic matter. A crown of colourful flowers sits atop the head, with smaller blooms and wild grasses scattered across the chest and arms.
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James O Jenkins: The Burryman

A person with their face and neck covered in matte black makeup looks directly at the camera. They wear a dark green hooded garment with a tied neckline and black lace trim.
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James O Jenkins: Whittlesea Straw Bear Man Festival

A person dressed in a white hooded robe and a gold chain necklace looks directly at the camera. They hold a tall gold staff topped with a crystal and ornate metal carvings.
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James O Jenkins: Eisteddfod

A person wearing a black bowler hat and a dark sweater is draped in several long necklaces made of brown chestnuts. They hold a glass of dark liquid and a long string of chestnuts that forms a vertical line.
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James O Jenkins: World Conker Championships

A person wears a coarse brown burlap cloak and a bold mask painted in red, white and black. A string of flat, oval stones hangs around their neck.
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James O Jenkins: Hunting the Earl of Rone

A person wears a bright red jacket with gold trim and a tall, conical hat covered in colourful ribbons. They hold a wooden staff and look directly at the camera against a plain white background.
Above

James O Jenkins: Hunting the Earl of Rone

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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