The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16

An Important Feature of the Big De-
partment stores.

New York Mail and Express.
There is one branch OF the big depart
ment stores which the average person
knows little about. The work is done after
the store is closed for the night, when the
show windows are stripped of materials
and wares displayed during the day and
refitted anew.
The window decorators, or window dress
ers, as they are called, form a department
which devotes ali its time and attention to
the proper display of the firms goods in
the windows. From four to twelve men are
required in every big store for this work
alone. The head window dresser" plans all
the displays and is responsible for all the
goods he uses, and for the conduct of his
assistants. nfat
Being, of course, familiar with every de-
partment of the store and all it's workings.
he is generally given full charge of the
windows. and exercises his own judgment
as to the proper goods 10 be displayed.
A very popular window at this season of
the year is one which makes a fur display.
This can be set up in sixty-foot window
IT. just two hours and half. A Twenty
third-street window dresser, who has just
finished such a window with 5000 worth
of goods, said:
.sThis is one of the simplest displays to
make, because the goods are easy to handle
and not easily injured. | first look over
the stock of furS in the store and then
sit down and think of the ways in which
they can be effectively combined. If the
display is to be elaborate 1 draw my plans
OH paper, and after submitting them to
the manager and having them approved,
go ahead selecting the goods l want
mo one but the assistants and myself
handle these goods. They are brought to
the window, and according TO my plans
properly grouped and hung. / aim to make
the display simple, but artistic. Each ar
ticle must stand out by itself. If there
are several figures IN the group showing,
for instance, ladies' fur coats, Ii is poor
policy to have them all standing in one
row. facing in one direction, like soldiers.
Make the grouping appear careless. but
natural Show the back and side of the
garment as we'll as the front But no mat
ter how irregular the groupings and hang
ings are made in the center of the window.
both ends should be symmetrical. In all
my windows L follow this last rule
In interviews with men who decorate
some of the largest windows on Sixth ave-
nue. and In Fourteenth street, many inter-
esting facts connected with the art of win
dow dressing were brought to light. In
all this work there is great deal in the
combination of colors and the light and
shade effects. A piece of goods might look
OF a window, and yet appear rich and love-
ly in the shadows OF a corner.
A decorator who has three or four win
dows together along the front OF a store
must be very careful to have them in har-
mony, one with the other. Three windows
-one OF bric-a-brac. the next of jewelry
and the third of umbrellas. would be a
harmonious display. because all the arti-
cles shown are light and breakable.
Head window dressers are always busy
men. 1t is easy task to change on an
average each week. each window OF big
department. store every two or three days.
or course. the length Of time any one dis
MAY remains in q window depends alto
gether on the goods used. Silk dress goods.
white ties. handkerchiefs and the like are
kept in but a short time because they are
easily soiled.
Window dressers dislike to have any Of
the goods they handle injured. But, not
withstanding careful supervision goods are
often injured from soiling or fading after
being used in the windows II the harm
done is very little they are marked down
to bargain-counter figures. But If badly
spoiled they are always charged up to the
window dressing department and used by
the man for future decorating.
Many decorators follow a simple rule In
the choice of goods for their displays They
give window to that department of the
store which is having the smallest sales
aud is most in need Of being brought before
window dressers like poets. are born, not
made. The ability TO see the right place for
everything, and everything in its right
Mace Is a gift which comes to them nat
nrallv and enables them to draw salaries
ranging anywhere from So to $50 per week
These men are all jealous OF each other
and are frank enough to admit It. They
of forming any sort Of successful window
dressers' union.
The window dresser Is ever after new and
novel ideas. In going from his home to the