The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-25
Curious Early Advertisements

OhttOOo - SAt 49, ~ ~'oO''-Of'N
The extraordinary progress made in
newspaper advertising. both in England
and America, particularly in this coun-
try, has often been the subject or COM
nent, and in these days when advertising
forces itself upon Us on FENCES and
houses, in cars and omnibuses, in news
papers, magazines, books. and every 9TH
or possible way, a glance at the begin
nings of this great and new business will
not be without interest
The first genuine advertisement IS
claimed to be that found in copy OF the
Parliamentary paper, "Mercurius Poiit-
icus," in January, 1852. II was puff for
''Irenodia Gratulatoria, an Heroick Poem;
being congratulatory panegyrick for my
Lord Generals late return. summing UP
his success in an exquisite manner This
piece of fattery to Cromwell upon his VIC
tories in Ireland was advertised TO be sold
by John Holden in the New Exchange
London. and as being printed By Thomas
Nearcourt, 1852.
Booksellers, indeed, were the first to
employ this means of publicity, readers
of papers at that time being chiefly of
the higher classes. There were only three
or four advertisements, usually, in pa
per, and never more than dozen Uuth
the close of the seventeenth century there
are few signs TO be found of the ingeni-
Gus putting that later became SO common.
This was owing TO the duty on advertise
ments, which was three shillings and six
pence in Great Britain, reduced TO one
shilling in 1898, and wholly repealed TWEEN
ty years later. In 1892, the year before
the reduction, this duty brought in 91Io,-
$50, and after the repeal there was at once
vast increase in the number of adver-
tisements.
Runaway servants, stolen or lost dogs,
and horses, soon followed book advertise
ments, and those of quack medicines. Peo-
pie made their wants. their losses, and
their amusements known in the newspa-
pers as we do two centuries later, and
showed an equal desire to gain the puohc
patronage by extolling the merit OF their
goods In America the value OF adVerus-
ing was early seen, and the curious spec
linens to be found in the early colonial
newspapers also evince the same spirit
that now prevails. The following one
from the New York Gazette. December
), I737, shows the variety OF goods for sale
by one merchant:
At the store of John Shurman, near the
Old SIip, is TO be sold for Ready Money,
Strondts. Broad Cloths, fine and Course,
Canbricks and Garlix, and divers other
sorts of European Goods and also good
Onions very Cheap"
Still another advertiser in the Gazette
(revived in the New York Weekly Post
Bow evidently considered it advantaS-
GUS, December o, 1744, TO introduce some
personal items:
John Browne, lately married to the
Widow Breese, continues to carry on the
Leather Dresser's Trade, at the Dwell
ing House of the late John Breese, in
the Smiths Fly near Beekman's Swamp
or Creple-Bush; at the South End OF the
House a Staff is erected, with Nane on
the TOP of it. He sells all sorts of Leath-
er. Brooches, also Alum, Glew, raspt and
chipt Logwood and Redwood fit for dy-
ing, and Copperas, all at Reasonable
Rates.
These requests for the favor of the pub
lie arenot only valuable because through
them the old names of streets and locali-
ties can be traced, but also because we
learn from them the fashions of the pc
Rod. For instance, these two rival claim
ants for customers for a then popular
fashion would happily now find but little
business:
Lately imported from England, and to
be sold by David Cox, at the Exchange
Coffee House: A Choice Parcel of Winter
Wigs of divers Colours, with which Cen
tlemen may be supplied with VICES TO
their own taste: AS likewise Baggs and
Roses for Perukes, Trimmings, Oyl, &c. "
N. Y. Gazette, October 10, 174S.
Simon Franks, Peruke Maker. from
London. now living next Door to the Sign
of the Leopard, at the North West Corner
of the Great Dock, Makes and sells all
sorts of Perukes, after the best and new
est Fashion, cuts and dresses Ladies'
Wigs and Towers, after a Manner per-
formed much better than is pretended to
be done by some erS.''-Gazette, Octo-
Der 8, 1877.
One can not help wondering whether the
advertiser who used so verbose a style as
that shown in ten following paid by the
line:
Moses Slaughter, Stay Maker from
London, has brought with him a Parcel
of extraordinary good and Fashionable
Stays of his own making, of several Sizes
and Prices. The Work of them he will
warrant to be good, and for Shape infe-
riour to none that are made. He lodges
at present at the house of VIM. Brad
ford, next Door but one to the Treasurers
near the Fly Market, where he is ready
to suit those that want, with extTaordi-
nary good Stays. Or he is ready TO wait
upon Ladys or Gentlewomen that please
to send for him to their Houses. If any
desire to be informed of the Work he
hasdone, let them inquire of Mrs. Elliston
in the Broad-street. or of Mrs. Nichols
in the Broadway. who have had his work
Gazette, December Il, 174S.
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