The Penn's Grove record., 1886-02-06
PHoT0s or DISTINGUISHED MEN.
Public Peoples Pictures Sought by
Tourists and Strangcrs---How
They Sell.

Washington is the leading market OF
this country for photographs of distin-
guIshed men. An avenue dealer whose
sales AMOUNT up mo the thousands an
uually told me recently that his only
customers were tourists and strangers.
"Washington people" said he, rarely
interest themselves in such matters
They meet public men at every turn.
Their faces are as familiar to them IS
any other citizen of the Capitol. For
this reason, | presume, there is but
little demahd for such pictures. Who
sells best? Oh, Cleveland, of course.
That is true of all Presidents during the
period of their incumbency. Cleveland
sells better than either Arthur, Garfield,
or Hayes. lie was not SO well-known
to the country at large as his more im'
mediate predecessors, which, l dare
say, accounts for it IN part. OF the
cabinet, Garland's pictures are the most
in demand. He is personally q very
popular man. The other members OF
the cabinet sell about even"
DO you experience much difficulty
in procuring sittings from public men?'
mot as a rule. Such men as Ed
munds and Sherman are hard to get. but
this arises not so much from a reluc-
lance to sit as from the fact that they
are busy men and hnd it difficult to
spare the time"
''Do you find much vanity among
this class OF men?"
VERY little. The most of them are
plain, buslness-like people, who get
photographed to satisfy the demands OF
their friends. That is about the only
interest they show in the matter. Good
looks have little to do with selling such
pictures. 10 tell you the truth, the
best looking men are the least called
for. You may not know il, but hand
some men are seldom great statesmen,
with, of course, an occasional exception
now and then. The mans position, his
character, his association with passing
events-these are what sell his pictures.
Gen. Logan, for example, is not a hand
some man. but hs pictures are always
in demand, Notwithstanding the fact
that nearly every Il became familiar
with his features during the campaign.
Sheridan sells well, too. He and Gen.
Sherman are the only army officers
whose pictures We keep constantly in
stock.
"No, Blaine and Grant do not sell
well at this time. Fhey were both in
public life so long that their photo
graphs became very common. Hen
bricks picture was but little called for.
/ could never understand that. He was
very popular in a certain sense, but
somehow his pictures had no go 4
group picture of the supreme court is
selling constantly and well. The law
yers who come here want it, and dealers
all over the county send for it. Photo
graphs of Mrs. Logon and Mrs. Carlisle
are also in great demand. They sell
better than the pictures of any other
ladies. The Chinese minister also goes
quite freely. Lee, Je1 DAVIS, and Joe
johnson are sometimes called for
Davis the least OF the three. Red
Clouds pictures sold well at II time,
and so did the pictures of Spotted Tai.
ami Sitting Bull. But there Is no sta
biiity in such booms. The newspaper
cuts usually satisfy public curiosity
with regard to such people, and after
few weeks or months they are forgotten
entirely"