The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-26
THEATRICAL ADVERTISING.
The Use of Autographs and Fine Pos
tiers Very Extensive.
New York Post.

New York Post
The value Of public space for advertising.
in a city like New York, is illustra ted by
the fact that last year well-known stage
actress paid 800 a day for week for the
privilege of having her photographic portrait
displayed during that time at the elevated
railroad stations, at the foot of the stairs
and ON the platforms. Painting advertise
ments on fences, which was started by pat
ent-medicine proprietors in the time of the
civil war, taken up by the theaters only
a few years ago. This made a bigger de-
mand for fences, and caused greater compe
ttion among billposters. who not only
charged the theaters the usual rates for
posting but "a or s. extra for location.
About 1870 the practice of FASTING ''snipes'
on curbstones, barrels etc., was introduced,
and one morning, soon after the elevated
railroads We're built. the people of New York
found that all the pillars of these structures
were placarded with strips of printed pepper.
This form of advertising stirred up the city
authorities, and an ordinance was passed
forbidding the posting of bills on sidewalks
and public buildings. or upon other property
without permission from the owners Pri-
vate owners also put uD an increased num-
Der of 'post-no-bills'' signs. Similar ordi-
nances were passed in other cities and thus
everything combined to put street advertis-
ing more and more into the hands of the
billpOsters. The story is told that in 1868
or 1869 Theodore Moss had very large
board covered with the poster of play at
Wallacks, which afterwards he wanted to
get rid off, and that somebody" who took
it away, placed it against the monument of
Washington in Union Square. Presently a
policeman came around to tell the manager
that the board must be removed, but the
latter said that he didn't want 1t; he had
no place to put it, and anybody could have
it, The result was, under the free-and-easy
city administration of that time, that the
board remained where it was for a week.
most conspicuous advertisement in what
was then the center of the city. Another
story of theatrical advertising is that the
manager of combination at the Star Thea
ter once observed d hand painted on wall
opposite the theater. pointing downward TO
drug store, and hired man at night TO
His idea was that the storekeeper would be
furious and try to get the billposter ar
rested, and that tirst-class advertisement
would be furnished by. proceedings IN a
police court. Two days having passed with
no sign of trouble, while the bill remained
undisturbed the manager got the policeman
storekeeper to the liberty taken with his
premises. whoever put that there ought
to be arrested declared the officer. i say
SO too said the storekeeper. 1t was a
mean thing to do. That ought to be worth
two tickets to the show, don't you think
SOP" The tickets were obtained from the
disappointed manager, and the bill was
washed off the wall.
When the city was dotted with telegraph
poles, cards advertising railroads used to be
tackled up on them, and this practice led to
a similar use OF the poles by the theaters.
These advertisements have disappeared
with the means for their display. Lately
theatrical advertisements have been printed
on sheets of muslin. to be tackled up on
buildings. At one time soap was used for
outlining theater notices on show windows
but this device did not prove popular The
use of Autographs in show windows has in
creased very greatly. beginning with simple
portraits of leading actors and actresses,
which were followed by pictures OF the
same in character, and these, in turn, by
scenes from plays. All three classes of adj
vertisements are now in use, but the litho-
graphs, at first plain, are now in colors.
The Keepers OF the barrooms, cigar stores,
BARRIERS shops and other places, in the win~
dows of which the Autographs are dis
played. receive their pay in the shape of
theater tickets. AS in the case of the
posters, many attempts have been made to
abolish window advertising by union of
managers, but, for the same reasons, they
have always been unsuccessful Recently
lithographing on metal has been introduced
for the window displays, so that they may
last longer Constant effort is made for
novelties. but about the only thing which is
novelty now is the one which is most ex-
pensive
The amount OF money annually spent i'm
the country upon theatrical advertising in
the form of posters, window autographs.
etc, must be an immense sum, and II grows
larger every year. An ordinary travelling
company expenCls. on an average, 800 a
week for this purpose, or $500 season.
Circuses of course, pay out more money
in this line than any other exhibitions, for,
being large and expensive shows, they re-
quire large and expensive advertising, and
they appeal TO country people more In
this way than In any other OF thirty we'll
known places OF amusement m this city, in-'
GLIDING the larger music halls, Il Is esti-
mated that. on the average, each has at
least nifty twenty-eight-sheet stands Of
paper or Loco iil all; each, on the lowest