The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-09-30
A WINDOW Asrls.'s WORK.
How Decorative Tapi Are L,ld to Catch
the UnWarY Dry Goods Purchaser.
lSt. Paul PIOneSr Pre,Sl

a"N 0NtNtedNa AtApA AEo 4Nu W NAtcu
the UnWaFY Dry Goods Purchaser.
~. Paul PiOneSr Prs,Ll
50 thoroughly Is window decoration
recognized as one Of the necessary
methods Of advertising that every large
dry goods establishment employs pfo.
fessional window dresser, and exports
earn from 81, 800 To $1,000 per year for
this work. A Kansas City window
dresser is rrgularlY paid the latter sum,
and New York dressers average from
5000 to $4,000. The northwest has q
veritable artist one Of the born.not.
made kind In this popular branch Of
decoration, in gentleman ha ing
the good fortune at an early
period Of his career 10 be the pOss 'Ssor
OF q grandmother who devoted
herself TO the cultivation Of a flower
garden and his sthelic taste in the
matter Of eolors at one and the same
time. SO both by Inheritance aud in.
structlon he came into u perception Of
! the refined beauties Of color comhina.
ton which Is the basis Of his skill In
decoration.
One Of his earlier exhibitions Of this
gilt was during tue ysit Of the \ illArl
party, when, being given carte blanche
BY his employer, haspnt About sen, 700
worth Of the richest fabrics plushes
that cost $40 per yard and laces worth
$50 per yard Into a triple window dis.
play that opened the 0 es Of the visitors
very wide indeed, and gave them In.
creased respect for a community able to
en- ourago such lavish expenditure on
It's account. During u subsequent visit
to Paris and other European capitals
he made q special study Of win
dow decoration as an art. There was
a moiisto's window in tho Boulevard
liausmann, hO said where the displays
were changed every day. and ! have
spent hours b. fore 1t, studying color
harmonies that seemed little short Of in.
spiratiOn."
This artist thinks that the secret Of
the art Is congruity. There must 10
not only harmony OF colOrs and pro.
portion Of parts, but, as well, accord in
the nature and uses Of the articles dis.
played and relation TO the season or
special occasion. For instance. IN the
spring he would make his windows airy
and light with the dainty faLri's to 10
worn IN warm weather, summer silks,
cambrics, percales. and the trimmings
to be used Herewith; hut with the ad.
vent Of frosty days he grcets the eye
with the comfortable woolens and
darker colorS thereto suitable, while
mid-winter finds bis diSpla~ warmed
into luxurious richness with furs. heavy
silks and brocadrs, cut velvet, plusheS,
etc. 1t harrows up bis sthotic soul 10
be forced TO put in juxtaposition arti.
cleS which could not be worn together
or not In some way related.
"Those embroideres and laces scream
at each other" he said, pointing to tho
airy fCstOonGd canopy over Que Of his
displays, "but didn't have enough
laees OF the right width" lie has a
method of his own to make these fcs.
toons Of lace hang right, rolling them
up in bundle and taCEing his strips at
either end in IN ingenious way. While
these canopies arc hardly consciously
noted by the average window gazpr,
they have an elect in giving a finish
AMI setting oil the main display not
| otherwise Obtainable. Livery artist
knows that the accessories arc OF almost
as much Importance as the central fg.
ures in his picture. Asked how ho
went about "doing' a window, tho
gentleman declared that he honestly
couldn't tell -hO uSt went in and began
moving things around, and by the
time he had bis material well In hand
the design had begun to work itself