The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-18
THEATRICAL ADVERTISING.
The Money Wasted Show-Eills ant
Fancy Pictorial Work.

The Money Wasted on ShOw-EsillS and
Fancy Pictorial Work.
Philadelphia Times.
If one-ha!f the money spentin Autographs and
other fancy work was spent in the newspapers,
and the other half saved by the theatrical mana
gers, said Mr. Hagar, veteran Snowman. the
atrical and show people would be better off. The
window Autograph, once so popular, has had its
day. We have not received return of one dollar
for ten for the money we have spent in this way.
i believe it would pay US to shut down On fancy
paper altogether, and spend more money OH
newspaper advertising which reaches thousands
where bill boards reach hundreds Autographs
cost from eight to twelve cents sheet, sheet
being twenty by forty two inches, ana are very
short-lived advertisements The rain and frost
discoor them easily, and when the pictures are
discolored or dsigured in any way they are an
eyesore and nuisance There is another thing
about this craze for pictorial advertising that |
want to speak of. Almost all the old plays,
such as the Ticket of Leave Uncle Toms
Cabin. the BLACK Crook the Forty II sves,
East Lynne the Two Orphans, the 'Corsican
Brothers. and host of others that are public
property, are kept in stock by the photographers
and sold cheap to travelling combinations Thus
in the Yves. and Northwest, when travelling with
a show, l have seen paper representing Fanny
Davenport, Billy Florence, Clara Morris, Mary
Anderson and other celebrities posted on the
walls, when to my own certain knowledge those
artists were thousands of miles away Their old
panies generally composed of elements that
would not be tolerated in a civilized country,
and used to deceive the public. One printing
house in this city has almost 1000 cuts, repre-
senIing scenes from old plays, that can be
bought for four or FIVE cents q sheet
..Once in a while a transforming company
comes to grief Only q few days ago saw an
account of q company that billed Winamac Ind.
for the Lights of London'-using the same pa
per that that combination displays Some Of
the townsmen were indignant when the per-
Torrance turned out to be magic lantern Show
and poor one at that and the transformers
were only saved from ducrdng by the kindness
of the sheriff"
An old advance agent who has served with all
the big shows for the past twenty five years. says
that the Barnum and Forepaugh shows--.the
largest in the country-spend on an average
$.l600 each season for printing and Autograph
work and $75, 900 season each for newspaper
advertising. One of these shows spends So, 900
for big paper-monster cuts and Autographs;
81, 900 season for programmes, $4,000 season
for show papers for free distribution and 80 900
a season for incidental printing To put this
paper on the walls and the bill-boards COSTS in
board, travelling expenses and so forth, including
the cost of the paper and the printing, almost a
quarter of million Of dollars every season.
sHalf Of that money spent in newspaper adver-
Using would do the shows more good by 30 per
cent said the old Snowman, ''and hope to see
the day when managers will awaken to the fact
that the best and cheapest way to advertise is
through the public press"