New-York tribune., 1900-05-28
SCENIC ABOMINATIONS.

The announcement was recently made that
the huge advertising boards had been removed
from along the lines of French railroads, in
order that the landscape might not be distig-
ured before the eyes of the myriads Of visitors
who will this year travel through that country.
Many an American must wish the same thing
could be done here, as he sees gigantic red and
green paint recommendations of pills and cor
sets and bicycles staring at him wherever he
goes. Not only these barns and fences,
but enormous hoardings have been constructed
especially for them in places stretching for
miles along the railroad in almost unbroken
lines Formerly rocks and cliffs We're thus dis
figured, and, indeed, they still are in some parts
Of the country. We have largely stopped that
here. But it is not clear that the barn door pos
ter and the mile long billboard are not actually
greater evils and worse dis1gurements of the
landscape.
Nor is rural scenery alone thus outraged The
aspect of the city, even in its noblest phases, is
not secure from the approaches of the bill
board vandal. The outlook upon the city from
the Brooklyn Bridge should be imposing in
the extreme. In fact it is largely a review
OF the titles of cough mixtures and liver
cures. Almost every deadwall and roof Is
ablaze with them, and many a building is
crowned with tall hoardings constructed ex-
pressly for the purpose. Or if one traverses the
chief streets and avenues, such as Broadway
and Fifth-ave., he is confronted with the same
chromatc horrors. His contemplation of stately
architecture and Of the varied panorama of un-
ceasing traffic is constantly disturbed by the
fantastic boastngs of boots and sauces and
kidney specifics
Note, Tor example, the mOnstrous signs that
day and night make vision painful at that
Nny1tra Of fhn oitx
Square The tides Of travel that necessarily
flow along the finest two thoroughfares of the
city have for their beacons and landmarks not
splendid buildings nor artistic monuments hut
ochre and vermion reminders of the rivalries
Of trade. Or perhaps worse still. observe the
intersection of Fifth-ave and Forty-second- ST
one Of the most frequented spots in the city
especially by visitors within our gates Where
once the gray walls of the old reservoir tow
cred in grand simplicity, like a bit of Thebes or
Phil@ transplanted to Manhat ttan, where a per-
pendicular acre of ivy leaves fiuttered and gilt
tered and darkled and where one day a master
piece or art is to adorn the city and delight
the eye, there sordid greed parades in gaudr
ugliness the putative qualities of trodesmen's
wares And yet again, on every platform of the
elevated railroads are long rows of bilIboards
bearing advertisements of this that and the
other tnlng. Those platforms interfere with the
light and ventilation of the buildings before
which they stand But that is condoned. In view
Of their service 10 the general public But who
gave permission for the light and ventilation TO
be far more interfered with by these bilboards,
which are not for the service Of the public. but
are for selfish profit in a direction not contem-
plated by the charters of the railroads?
We believe that in a considerable measure
these evils are proper subjects of legal restraint
and suppression The city government should
certainly be competent to prevent such abom-
nations upon city grounds as the hoardings
around the old reservoir display We do not
see why the affronting of public taste on all
hoardngs erected under permission upon the
public streets should not be similarly prevented.
AS for the rest, the force of public sentiment
would be irresistible if 1t were properly brought
into play. II tradesmen were made to feel
that offensive advertisements would not COM
mend their wares, but would dissuade the peo.
pie from purchasing them, they would soon
mend their ways If it known that any
large proportion of the people of New-Yorl
would decline TO patronZe any shop or to pur-
chase any wares of which the advertisements
We're an offence to the public eye and deface-
ment of the city such advertising would quickly