Maryville Then (1989) & Now (2026)

“Hairstyles have changed, but a lot of businesses have come and gone since that time in Maryville, I think of so many. It’s kind of scary,” said Gary Line Greeley, who owns Gary’s Barber Shop in Maryville. He has lived in Maryville his whole life. 

“We live in such a fast paced life,” he said. “Everybody is in a hurry, it’s just go go go. Nobody has any patience anymore and they want things right now or yesterday.”

Greeley’s barber shop is one of three in Maryville. The walls of the one-room-shop are filled with sports memorabilia from throughout the years. On any given day, people from the town stop by for a haircut — or just a chat with the longtime barber. On Tuesday, Larry Mitchell, Greeley’s friend since junior high, stopped by in the morning.

“I think people are more into themselves, everybody does their own thing,” Mitchell said from a chair in the shop. “And everybody’s got this thing in their hand all the time now, so the social stuff has kinda stopped.” 

“Me and him, we don't do that kinda stuff. We just sit here and talk. I stop in between cow jobs or horse jobs and see what the news is in Maryville,” Mitchell said, holding a buckeye in the pocket of his jeans for his granddaughter. 

Another barber shop across town, Downing’s Barber Shop, was the subject of a photo from MPW in 1989. “There hasn’t been much change. Maryville is a great family town,” said Bryan Lemons, the shop’s owner. He has lived in Maryville since the early 1990s. The original owner of the barber shop, Gail Downing, appeared in the 1989 photo. He operated Downing’s Barber Shop for 50 years before he died in 2007. 

When the workshop first came to Maryville in 1989, photographers sprawled out across town and captured the moments here. MPW has returned 36 years later with different photographers from all over the world. Here is Maryville then and now. 

Canon Cameras and Lenses available at MPW.78