New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-05
BILL BOIRDS OUT OF DATE.
THEATRICAL MANAGERS GIVING UP POSTERS AND
RELYING on THE PRESS.

THEATRICAL MANAGERS GIVING UP POSTERS AND
RELYING on THE PRESS.
That advertising is as the breath of the nos
trils to the body is well understood by every man.
ager Whether no Is directing diae museum or gor
Eeous temple OF dramatic he has to place the inertia
OF his entertainment before the public. The circus pro-
pretors. appealing TO class reached only through the
eyes cover the walls and fences with hsbly-colored
pictures, while the "high art" manager reaches his
moro intellectual clentago by printers ink also but diff
ferently used lie relies on the press almost entirely
1t not long however that the incarson into
tho dramatic field OF certain bold Spectators where
methods smaed rather OF the Canvas tent than OF tho
theatre and their apparent IL temporary success led
the whole profession to follow after the strange gods OF
billboard and poster. Not yet Is the reign of these
deities over bat it is evident to casual observer
that their power Is tho The are evil
dent. Z" Printing" which Ia the technical name for
Autographs and posters OF every description is extremely
expensive I'm tho fret place, ~ has ceased 10
attract by Its novelty In tho second and the class TO
which appeals in NewYork ut least, hardly that
which by its attendance at the theatre makes MANA
gers fortnnc!- On the ether hand tho power ofnews
paper advertising is becoming and more apparent.
large proportion OF the money spent not long by
the managers this city in ing every BARRIERS shop
and liquor store with Autographs and covering every va
cant boarding with huge posters is now employed in In
creasing the merit OF their performance aud bringing
TO notice through the columns OF ths newspapers Some
indood have reduced their bill advertising
few small plainly printed posters displayed at the prn
cpa hotels AID In frsnt OF their theatres and 1t Is
worthy OF notice that these are among the mss rot tho
In the city In Londoa and Paris the litho
graph almost unknown or Is confined To such entertain
isian managers printing" consists Of few hum
dreo small "aiiches which are posted mp
In the cafes and Mosques throughout the city, while his
London brethren II they think the newspapers not alone
sendlng out score Of wcary-loosing sandwich men
TO parade up and down the leading thorougnfares >.
Several New-IOrk managers were recently asked TO
A. NJ Palmer, Of the Madison Square Theatre said
m NH Al
nov IN or NsTYo S sendeUc, 10 thnk
10 depend rather the newspapers. When elaborate
printing first into fashion It had tho advantage Of
that passing glance is alI the notice 1t receives
To certain extent believe 1t is useful even to New.
York and IL reminder to busy people that
such and such play ia being performed; Advertising
ls OF course. IL matter TO be seriously considered
by all MANAGERS, for on 1t they eHpenfd
sa the SaIs ADVERTISING Of
nanagors must In the gross amount to quarter OF
Edward Arons6n OF the Casino said II have attend
cd 10 the advertising department. both OF old and new
conclusion that bill printing and displays do not pay
We rely here exclusively ON tho newspapers and have IN
believe that the latte are snare and deuson
They cost little in actual money, It is true.
them by the theatre. For each billboard
give four free admission month That Is. you see.
OF these sold by the holders at tre under the reg
ular prices Of admission | am convinced therefore Tor,
board tickets would otherwise have bought regular ad
missions Thus pay at low estimate 500 month
for the display of our bills and do not begin to reap
consequent advantage As To pictorial posters have no
faith IN them ALL After all said aud done the best
advertisement Is to send FROM your theatre five or
six thousand people every week thoroughly satisfied
with your performances"
John Duff. who for many attended TO the busi-
ness OF Augutn Days Theatre and il now performing
q like Office for tho Standard, said don't believe In
poster advertising nowadays at all IL was useful when
II novelty but nov you never see respectable
people : stop and stare at large wood,
cut or Autograph It's all very well
for n travelling combination or circus, but for
high-class New-York theatre believe 1t does not
begin pay. The amount OF money spent In Ju
dici0us newspaper advertising would Do productive OF
far moro good"
Daniel Frohman said a. think we were among the
first recognize the OF the the chief adj
yertising medium. Good printing is useful enough In
its proper place but that place Is not in New-York C
The Madison Square management some years ago INTRO
ducel a combination OF the two forms OF advertising
which very effective They inserted ia the country
newspapers attractive cuts and thus appealed at once
TO the eye and the mind" 80 -
Theodore Moss OF Wallacks Theatre, said: 81
heartily agree you that the most paying form OF adj
yertsng Is that conducted through the medium of the
newspapers Largo coored posters are uncgnifed and
useless though ut one time they attracted attention as
novelty. I refer you understand, to MewYork bust
ness In the country good printing still an advantage
TO a travelling combination"