The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-08-18
MAKING CAMPAIGN BANNERS.
Odd Things About q Pending Political
Industry.

A New Ork reporter mas Deen inter-
viewing several firms of that city who
make ita business to manufacture politi.
cal banners. The reporter obtained
some interesting information. Speak
ing of the coming campaign, Mr.. Com
moss, one of the manufacturers, said to
The reporter: 1T I can judge anything
from the business we are doing this year
in comparison with that done years ago,
I should say that we were to have a
very lively campaign. We have fifteen
men at work making campaign banners,
five of whom are engaged in painting the
portraits of the candidates. We have
sold already thirty sets of heads six feet
in length, considerably more than we
sold four years ago."
From what State do you have the
greatest demand for businessp"
"We sell great many in New York,
Pennsylvania. Connecticut and New
Jersey: but New ersey is the banner
State"
Mr.. Levy, of the firm of NJ. R. Levy
& Co said to the reporter: "The cam
paign has begun much more vigorously
than it began in 1876, and it bids fair to
be one ofthe liyehest we have ever had"
,;..,!Vl1 "WheTe s5, will the campaign be the
"In Connecticut and New Jersey, our
orders would seem to Indicate"
"How many men have you at workP
"Between sixteen and twenty. We,
however, manufacture only banners.
We sell torches. caps, etc., but only as
agents for manufacturing houses. Very
few people have any idea to what an
extent this business is carried. I know
one firm in this city which will mantlfac-
ture torches and have already started to
make 500, 900 of them. They will prob
ably make as many more before the
season is over"
"Do you employ good artists to paint
your portraits"
Certainly. Only a good one could
do the work satisfactorily. The men
/ employ are all portrait painters by
profession. They do not let their
friends know that they are doing this
work. They get good pay, SO they
consent to do the work; but they are
not in the habit of saying much about
it,"
"How long does it take them to paint
one of the largest portraits ?"
"About a daYA They have workmen
to help them fillsout the margins. Then
they save considerable time in another
way. They get "a good drawing and
pick through the canvas, 80 that they
are able to maketh outlines of all the
portraits without drawing each separ-
ately."
The American sign company on
Fulton street was next visited by the
reporter, and F.jW. Cobb. one of the
managers, was found engaged in super.
intending the finishing touches to a
banner.
"How does your business this year
compare with that of 1876 P"
ut is much better. The campaign
opened earlier than usual, and think
it will be very lively. At all events,
we are making preparations for doing
large business. We have laid in large
stocks of caps, capes, torches, banners,
and everything that can possibly be used
in campaign"
"Can you give me any idea Of the
extent of the business which is done in
these campaign goods in q presidential
campaign P"
I can only tell you approximately
what we did four years ago. We sold
then about $4,000 suits, between 5000
and 5000 small flags and about 1000
small badges. You can Judge, however
to what an extent this business is car
ried when l tell you that there are ten
or twelve different kinds of torches
patented, and that the inventor of one of
these has been made rich by his royalty.
There are q dozen different kinds of
small flags, suits and shirts manufac-
tured."
"How many men have you at
work?"
Eighteen now, I think. In month
or two, however, when the orders TOR
uniforms begin to come in, we shall
probably have hundred at work."
The firm of Hojer & Graham was
next visited. Mr.. Graham said: "The
campaign opened much better than it
did last year. And this improvement
will last until November"
How large business do you think
you will do this year?"
"Our regular business is sign. paint
lug, and we only 60 into this banner
business rs a side matter. We shall
probably sell, however, about 200 of
these large banners, 20x30 feet. These
are worth at least $l00 piece"
"Has there been much advance in
banner making in late yearsP"
"Yes, decided advance. Formerly
ali these banners were Of solid canvas
and were so heavy that it was almost
Impossible to keep them in place. Holes
had to be made 80 that the wind would
blow through. They were so made
that the artists, when painting them,
had to work at great disadvantage.
These disadvantages have al been done
away with by making the main part OF
the banner of network"
$50 these portraits, here, were done by
artistsp"
Certainly; we always have national
academicians to do our work. If the
artist who painted this were to paint
my portrait he would charge me 5000
or $500"
do you have many committees from
he country to see youp"
II should say so. They usually walk
in here with their hats on, apparently
expecting us 70 have everything they
want ready for them. We usually
agree to finish their banners for them
by Saturday night. We are pretty sure
of getting our money then. They get
their banner and a pole, and then the
usual ceremonies follow"