The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-03-18
80
COLORs In SIGNS.
Customs That Prevail i'm the Decorations
of Tea stores and Liquor Shops.


of Tea stores and Liquor Shops. =,
'Conventionalitv, nv dear SIR" re-
marked an old New Yorker to a Young
companion the other day, |'does great
many more things than you might i'm
agine. 1t settles the rank OF families,
the style OF carriages, the price of lux
uries, and even the painting Of stores. !"
The companion looked ifcredulous. but
wisely maintained silence. and the old
New Yorker went on, s-Yes, even the
coiors used in painting places OF busi-
ness are conventional. Perhaps YOU
might not have noticed it. but certain
coiors are ;nstinctiselv recognized by
residents OF this CITY as representing 2
certain branches o1ocommerce. Take.
for instance, red. Think OF street
and try to call up the places painted
that color. What do yon see? Tes and
coffee stores? Right. Wherever YOU
go in New York or its surroundings.
and also ins q great portion OF the
United States, red and green tell of tea
and coffee. Maybe it's the similarity OF
colors to the articles sold that caused
the painting, or perhaps il was first
adopted as q distinctive mark by some
those goods nowadays is pretty bold
when he uses aught but red and green
for the painting of his ssta bhshmeat.
Going with the painting is Invariably a
collection OF eolored lights, giving re-
msrkably brilliant appearance to the
place. 1t is conventional but beautiful
Then, again, who ever saw Chinese
laundry that was not announced in
great red letters, and that was not
screened from the vulgar gaze by red
curtain across the window and door?
A blue laundry is absurd. and SO is j
green one; but red, that is the color
they grow, and don't believe a China
man would think he could have success
with any other color but red
And how about blue? In imagina-
tion You can see a number of localities
with bright blue signs and lettering
All of them have multitude OF wires
running into their upper portions, while
nom their doors below dart 1iiIle boys
in blne. Telegraph offices, they are
The origin of this custom is as queer as
il can we'll be. 1t was started by the
Western Cnion company as q trade
mark, hut it was promptly initiated.
and now ali the telegraph companies
use it, II is a cold. bright color, well
suited for electricity. and that is per-
haps "a reason why If is used So exfen-
siyelv.
''Eor anniher conventional color 90
info any street and by aud by Won will
see a store front painted 3 dead black,
black curtains on a bar across each
window, :: few plants. aud sign:
.Pinking done here What is it, An
nndertaker's establishment The ele-
ments vi gloom seem 10 have conspired
TO make death hideOus instead of pleas
ant. and conventionalits perpetuates the
horrid idea Accordingly an under
takers office is trimmed With black,
deep, lusterless black, his wagon is
plain black with q little silver plate.
and he looks like an attendant at fun
eral. Did you ever notice that an un-
dertaker generally has black ewes and
haira Very few red-heads among them.
All is gloom and duskiness.
The undertaker's twin brother, the
liquor-seller, has his color, too. He
can't use black, so be tries a rich, warm
red-the blood of life with a shadow
upon it. Liquor stores are fitted I'D
outside in rich woods, polished and
grained, and brown hue invariably
accompanies. drinking-room. The
signs are usually goid-eoi0red, and the
tail. bedsteadlike Arrangement in the
window is of rosewood or cherry, and
suggests q bed of state for the departed.
Liquor-dealers don't use gloomy eelors,
buE their conventional tints are suggest
i've.
in combinations of colors. also.
there is the mark of custom Look al
the BARRIERS. They use two combina-
tions. in New York, red. white, and
blue, and red, yellow, and black. The
colors alone frequently Indicate the
shop, as poles have gone out Of fashion.
The doors will be painted in stripes, or
a square wooden box On the sidewalk
will have checkers of the three tihts.
No one ever asks what these colorsa sig
nifty. They know it must be q barber
shop and can be nothing else. The
druggists, also, reveal their uses to the
unlettered by their globes of red, vel
low, blue. and green. They are under
stood when q mortar and pestle would
be mystery, and these same people
are adopting the custom of putting q
piece of red glass in the lamp-post
nearest to them as an additional sign"
-Nea0 York Tribune.