These posters were among the first examples of the art nouveau style in the United States, and they were instrumental in popularizing it. Bradley was influenced by Beardsley's sinuous lines and broad areas of contrast. Here the swirling folds of the women's voluminous dresses echo the type above and recall the fluted round shapes of Thanksgiving pumpkins. The strong contrast of orangish red and blue emphasizes the movement of the skirts' curving folds.
Tiny feet peek out as small triangles and make the women seem almost airborne.
Eye-catching posters like this were meant to boost newsstand sales of magazines. Magazines were no longer sold primarily through subscriptions, and there was great competition for readers. Spurred by the lure of profitable national advertising, some 7,500 periodicals were established in the United States between 1885 and 1905. Most were short lived, but collecting newsstand posters became something of a popular craze in the 1890s. The Chap-Book was published between 1894 and 1898.