The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-27
THEATER POSTERS AND MORALS.

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The Puritan, or, as it prefers to call
itself, the moral, element of Boston has
got itself worked up to the point of
holding O public meeting to protest
against the putting up of what it con-
slders indecent theater posters. Some
tied at the meeting. but, notwithstand-
ing the advance prejudice against them,
the effect was not that of a uniform
shock to all present, and the difference
of opinion produced must have caused
disappointment to the most determined
enemiesof this form Of advertising. One
reverend gentleman felt himself fOrcedt to
confess that the particular poster which
had reused the most indignation among
persons looking out for blows to their
modesty was not indecent in his opinion.
Another clergyman. without expressing
his views as to any one poster. raised
the objection that they were all not only
morally offensive but were aggressive.
They were "thrust upon public notice."
said he complaininRly-as- if it were the
OuSllcSS " tucutIlC0i managers ~ nutc
their bills hung behind doors and in
dark corners, to be hunted for by those
who wish to gaze! Several men and
women present expressed the cOnvic-
ton that women frequently had their
feelings outraged by the sight of these
posters, and that they were shocking
and injurious to the tender sensibilities
of children. One man varied the argu-
ment with the assertion that the great
est objection to theatrical posters was
their general ~hideousness and lack of
aesthetic attraction. Another was of the
opinion that they were useless and
might we'll be done away with, for when
people want to 60 to the theaters they
look at the papers and not at the dead
walls to see what is offered. These last
two were the most reasonable and sensi-
BILE of the agitators.
Great improvements have been made
both in the designs and cOlOripg of the
atrical posters, within the past few
years, and now and her q picture
is put upon the walls which
wins notice because of it's merits
as a picture, but this variety is the ex-
ception. AS a rule, the representations
are ~caricatures of men and women figur-
ing in scenes the like of which are not
found In heaven or earth, or ever upon
the stage. The art of coloring by means
of printing machinery has not reached
beyond the stage of crudeness, and the
brilliant reds and yellows of the poster
are not a JOY to the artistic soul, even as
a ssbit of COLOR in a dull landscape.
prejudices and tender se~nsibilities, it
may be doubted if any great moral in
Jury is done to women and children by
these spectacular p~lacards. In the first
place, it is probable that a very small
proportion of the women who go about
the streets see the posters, except in the
vague and general way that leaves no
fixed impression of detail-this not from
a wish to avoid them, but from
sheer Indifference. Who ever saw a
woman stop and look at a show bill.
even of the most pleasing n innoc-
nous sort9 Men are frequently to be
seen standing before the sgaudiest
and Riddiest of these exhibits, but as
nothing seems to have been said in the
Boston meeting about any injurious
effect upon men, probably this does not
count for anything. AS for children,
what they have been familiar with from
their earliest appearance on the street
is not likely to produce a moral shock
as they grow older. They are more apt
to regard the sh~ort-skirted amazons and
other pictures on che walls ms an addi-
ton to the natural phenomena of which
the world is full, and which they will
understand some day. but care yer
little about at present Theatrical post