Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-08-10
Poster Exhibition at the Inn Wednes-
day Evening, Aug. IA.

took Inn, weather permitting, the
evening of Wednesday, Aug. II,
and a cordial invitation to attend is
extended to every one. The exhibit
ton is to be held on the piazza at
the east end of the house, which
will be enclosed. In case OF unfa-
vorable weather the exhibition will
be postponed to a date which will
be announced later.
BY the term "poster"-or rather,
the "artistic poster" known to col
lectors-is meant any pictorial adj
vertisement of merchandise or an
nounccment OF exhibitions. The
artistic poster is a development of
the past few years, as onl y within a
comparatively short time have advcr-
tisements and bill board announce
mcnts which might really be called
works of art been produced. Shrcwd
business men found that to attract
the public eye they must have the
assistance of artists in publishing
their wares, and the result is the
gradual disappearance of the flarlng
wall announcements. badly drawn
and hideous in coloring, proclaim
ing the virtues of soaps, baking pow
dcrs, beef teas, and Il thousand and
one articles OF merchandise.
A French artist, ulcs Cherct, say S
Il writer in the Engravcr and Printer,
was the leader IN this departure in
the art Of poster designing, practi-
cally launching the school OF new
ideas. His aim is to produce pos
ter both striking and harmonious.
and in this field of work he certainly
is master. Lithography is Cheret's
method of reproduction, and he
paints the design on the stone with
his own hands. Il process much more
difficult than the making of the first
design.
In the collection to be shown here,
which numbers nearly two hundred,
will be found group OF fourteen
French posters, including several by
Cheret, brilliant and dashlng in color
and execution, and attaining the
main object OF the poster-to catch
the eye at great distance, and hold
it.
The works of other well known
French artists, about whose work in
general poster experts ra>e,-among
them Steinen, 6. de Feure. and
Eugene Grassct, designer of the
Century's Napoleon posters--will
also he found here.
There are several posters by Au-
brey Beardsley, the eccentric Eng
fish artist, who is at present one of
the most interesting figures in the art
world. His posters are greatly
sought after, whatever may be the
general opinion as to their beauty,
and no collection is complete with
out one. Bcardslev believes that
advertising is an absolute necessity
of modern life, and his theory is that
"if it can be made beautiful as we'll
as obvious, so much the better for
the makers of soap and the public
likely to wash
Some of the best of American
poster designers are represented IN
the collection, among them Ed
ward Pentield, whose work for Har-
per's will be familiar to many, and
w. II. Bradley, a Chicago artist, an
imitator of Beardsley, but whose post
ers are to many more pleasing in
color and design.
Poster exhibitions were held last
winter in New York and Boston,
and the poster-mania seems to be
growing with the advance IN art of
pictorial advertising. The collection
to be shown here is not large one,
but some of the best work vet done
is to be found there and it will doubt
less attract many visitors, who, they
may be assured. will find something
of interest.
Poster literature is not voluminouS
just at present, still this form of art
madness has been Il good deal writ
ten about lately in the magazines and
newspapers. Scribner's for May
and July has entertaining articles on
French and English posters, the lat
ter number containing Il reproduce
ton of one of Steinlcn's posters, and
in the May issue is description of
one of Cheret's, for the "Palais de
Glace," both of which are included
in Mr.. Dana's collection.
X. It's Booked for Boston.
About fifteen officers and sir
knights, from Woodstock and vicin-
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