The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-04
THE WAYS OF BILLpOSTERS.
THEY HIRE DEAD WALLS AND BUILD
FENCES FOR THEIR YORK.

How Towns Arc Biiled for Theatres, aud
How.in Different Way, Districts orc oun.
try Are Papered Tor the Great Circuses.
will be news to great many persons that
fences are made for posters to nearly tho Same
extent that posters are made for fences. The
modern twenty eight sheet poster. which is
the most popular sizo Of large bill boards. 10
| 10 inches high. or exactly ten feet. and there
fore the fences are built dozen or fifteen feet
above the ground to accom- m odate these great
prints and pictures. The largest bill boards or
'hoardings." Us they are called over there, nre
| In London. the biggest boarding OF ALL the walls
ola building. or the four sides OF 1t. which are
LOCO feet In length. Paris is az much behind
New York as New York is behind London
In this respect. and in Paris the advertising Is
mainly done In the little panels Of tho curb
stone kiosks and on the backs and breasts OF
human sandwiches. Here in New York three
firms practically own all the fences and dead
walls whose owners will allow them to be plas-
tered over with posters and placards. These
billposter firms employ vel. paid and skilled
workmen. lease the right to use the walls and
FENCES In tho crowded or busy parts Of town.
and charge moro for putting up a poster than
the printers charge for making 1t. 1t is said
that one small fence on Broadway fetcles Its
owner $40 day.
The manner in which posters are distributed
about the country is interesting. Let 1t 10
supposed that one Of Mr. Charles Frohman's
companies takcs to the road with New York
success The troupe goes to n Chicago theatre
for week. Tho contract which Is mado bo-
tween the manager Of that theatre and Mr..
Frohman stipulates that the local manager
shall have charge of the advertising. The
manager notifies Mr.. Frohman how many
stands" or sets OF posters he can use, and
these arc sent to Chicago by the printer who
does MIR. Frohman's work. All managers, OF
theatres and eircuses alike. leave Their, printed
and extremely expensive to carry it all over the
S Unntry q, n2m;panhy that spends nearya
would be obli ged to drag whole freight train
loaded with tons and tons Of raper. md INK
each Snowman leaves his advertising matter
at the priptsr's: and sends the printer a
ties OF paper required to meet the movements
ap T'h re1 gu i,nn 9s t. Of each troupe.
rta a1ee ,G hs snS IN Chi
Q. e % %ad LIZ an agent Of the
BIZ posting thoroughly and promptly. That is
81 very simple as fomnnrsd With the work d
regard to circuses. or has been or Will be visited
ny or sres s me eSR4 II DseG e
circus has good field to itsei: tie advertis.
Ing Is done about fortnight ahead u the
The posting Of the show paper is done by
sometimes as many as four OF these cars on
the rond at one time for one circus. Such Il
e p9ste and xndoW cards al EA ars
stored. IN tho other the billposters. their
chic and the advance agent who arranges for
the advertising In the newspapers all travel
ana sleep. Inc printers make periodical ship
ments q paper to these cars. sending earh
mai corps OF workers bill the show towns,
fh nu TIE Stfers W9r Nv up End down the
are no such railroads the men paper the
Suppose that Long Branch is the place to be
the place and smployed tho CARPENTERS Of the
being very large. for theaisplay Of all tho prin-
cipaI b II ,S Of The e; show This man goes week
rains and they will not work out OF doors.
cs The son ass OF T the the .n "ss G an
boards which that man controls He them
ss nsTf tow na on Hs
been built or leased but they 20 to the livery
the town, where they post, bills. distrihute
Hurry and hustle. Which arouses ito WHO'S oYSi r o.
gion. Other men in other cars would run
along the New Jersey Southern and the Allan
tic Highlands branch OF the Central Railroad
to, paper the country along each route.
The paper. or posters. comes in many |
sizes. but " neither these DO two. sheet bills or
thigty-two- sheet bills. all the work is put to-
gether in the printing office whore it has been
printed. The sheets are. all matched and
pasted toFether. and dried and bundled up.
before they are shipped for use Tho printers |
who prosper most are those who use the best
sonks off the fences when it rains and inkk
WHICH fade In the sunlight are not satisfactory
TO showmen. When district is pnpered far |
in advance Of the coming Of tho circus the |
manager send man over the ground after
the paper has been up n while. and il that man
reports that the bills are hanging in rags or
are washed of the boards the manager will
send out more mon and paner. and will doubt
less determine to 60 to another shop for his
printing
Bilposters have to be as clever az wall
nnperers. It nice and delica task TO put
up huge sheet 20 to ~ feet long aud 10 feet
high especially H. II strong wind is blowing.
They do not work when it rains. because at
such time the paste will become diluted and
the paper will slip down to the ground.