Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-28
From the n. Y. Tiines .

CARDS WANTED THAT PEOPLE WILL NOT THROW
AWAY
From the n. Y. Tiines.
chubby, laughing chill rising out Of an in
coneruOus mass Of blue clouds, pink roses, and
green ferns, and clcefu.ly waving a wooden
spoon is the pictorial design on a bright-col-
ored fan which is just Row being distributed
In divers ways and in divers places. In some
Instances the fan is perfectly round and boTlered
with a half-lnch circle of deep crimson In other
Instances it is shaped Ike a star. each point
tipped with yellow; then, again, it has the form
of leaf or a she'll a shield, but i'm each case
The eoloring is strikinsly brilliant. and the
epoOn-waTng infant forms the central object Of
the picture AT first it may seem singular that
the child. who is apparently but few months
old. should be waving large wooden spoon in
preference to dainty silver one, but second
glance az the spoon explains the pecuii-
arity. The bowl of small silver spoon
would certainly not be sufficiently capacious to
contain the large type necessary 10 announce
that Muggins Baking Powder is the Best In
Use" or that - Wldes Esthetc Stove Polish is
Unrivaled-" The artist was evidently obliged
to sacrifice his natural delicacy of taste to the
vulgar demands OF trade. In one OF the UPPER
stories OF Broadway fancy printing establish
kicnt Ti:aes reporter saw tons Of these fans
awaiting shipment They We're printed on oTlli-
nary cardboard. and tnUse of peculiar shapes
had been cut out with die. WA.te blank spaces
had been left in the spoon bowls, to be filed in
at tie viii OF the purchaser None of the fans
had handles, but they were stacked up in COM
Pact bundles of $3.50 and 10 eco EACH
We sell these advertising devices by the
hundreds of thousands" explained the printer
''and there is very great demand for fans. We
usually dispose OF them just as you see them
now, but II the sticks are ordered we are ready
to furnish them and We will also print any b;isi-
ness card or motto in that blank space that may
be ordered AZ a rule however. the large bus,-
Ness houses buy their sticks and have their
special printing done elsewhere"
What 90 these fans COST" asked the re-
porter.
"Oh anywhere from S. to Sc per thousand
We make Illuminated advertising novelties from
81 UP to $50 per thousand, and there is q stead
lily increasing demand for devices OF the most
expensive kind Come a here and will show
you some OF our work"
Leaving the stOre-room, the printer entered
large working-room in which were great maay
men, boys, and girls engaged in printing cutting
and packing various kinds of cards Some OF
the cards were evidently being handled with q
good deal of care. while Others were thrown
from the cutting -lnachine into basket as If
they were no better than waste paper. These
were snail business cards with a half border of
flowers AID vines and picture OF q cupid,
bird, or an animal in the corner The printer said
that sucn business cards cost about $50 per
thousand and were bought by large retail con-
Germs TO distribute on the streets and TO
throw into the doors or windows of houses
All kinds OF colOrs seemed to be used in print
ing these advertising devices and sometimes
as many as 16 different c0lOrs and shades would
appear on one card. in one part Of the room a
butterfly card was being printed i'm eight
coiors, and little further on a press was turn
Ing cut some imitation drums in six colors The
daintiest piece OF work shown at this establish
menf was ten-leaf book. cut in the form of a
lady's bonnet the covers printed in delicate blue
and drab tlnts. with an imitation of lace effect
This job was being executed for millinery firm
out OF town Displayed upon shelves and
counters were variety of beautiful and eX-
pensive novelties. such as plaques, palettes
fans. large roses in full bloom. birds with bril-
liant plumaee, and pretty little pictures In imi-
tatien frames. I'VE have our own designer for
al these things" said the printer, but occa-
siOnally We buy q design for a plaque or a
palette picture from some first-class artist.
There is considerable rivalry among firms that
nave an almost exclusively fashionable trade in
the manner of issuing their business announce
ments. Each firm, of course, desires to have
the newest and incest card, circular, or device
and extrayagant prices are often paid For
instance. II choice plaque Is ordered we NAV
have 10 pay an artist 500 or $500 for the design
Or picture and then the work of lithographing
ana printing must be executed with extraordi-
nary Skill and care. This kind of advertising
must pay, for some Of the largest New York
nrlns nave steadily increased their expenses in
this direction during the last three years"
The custom of using picture cards and curl
Gus printed devices for advertising purposes in
this country has been one of a few, years
growth. About i've years ago, according to the
printers. the demand for illuminated business
cards In large quantities began 1t has increased
rapidly. until now many of the most skiIIful
and ingenious printers in the country are en-
ployed in this branch of the trade alone At
nfst out Few dealers would cOndescend to
place TIER business announcements upon pic-
ture cards. Now. there is scarcely large re-
m l. fx.I
not issue something i'm the way of fancy card
1ne motive that leads to this general gratui-
t0us distribution of picture cards is not rivalry
alone. but IT is the desire on the part of deal
Srs 10 put some sort of card into the hands of
buyers that Will attract attention and will not
be carelessly thrown away. In this desire ia
found an explanation of the liberality of many
fashionable uptown firms. who issue advertis-
ing devices OF the most costly description The
more beautiful and artistic a card or pIanue ia
1t Is argued, the longer it will be kent i'm sioht
ana talked about. The superintendent of a
very large fancy goods store in this CITY said to
the reporter not long since that he had observed
scores OF ladies making little purchases in his
store Tor no other reason than as an excuse to
ask for one of the firms elaborate spring an
nouncements. THESE pretty devices are. of
course, carried home by the ladies. carefully
preserved, and shown to friends who In turn
them.
what started this craze for pcture-card adj
vertisementsi" q downtown dealer i'm adver.
Using novelties was asked
Il don't know" was the reply, 'sunless it
grew out of the large importation of fancy mic.
cures from Germany and France which were
brought here for the purpose of DECORATING
boxes and boOk-covers, and subsequently, iars
anu vases There has certainly been gradual
development Of artistic taste In this picture
business At first almost any kind Of deco
rated card would answer the purpose: then
something little more elaborate was demanded
and now the tendency seems to be toward
genuine art The greatest demand is for the
nnest kind OF work and both producers and
dealers make more money cut of such goods
than any other kind. At the present rate of
improvement there Is no telling where this nc
sure advertising business is going to stop. You
Will near OF clothers sending out oil paintings.
and shoe-makers giving their customers port
ionos OF steel en@ravings next. Honestly. /
think That the colored cards are giving way to
steel engrayings. have already handled large
quantities of business cards with beautifully
engraved steel prints upon them. Many of these
are new things just gotten out for the fashion,
able summer resort hoteis''
Prom what dealers do the largest orders for
nCfurQ cards