The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-12-08

the study of this branch of psychology
1 as mere fad, it nevertheless has a
practical side. A fundamental knowl-
edge of the subject is essential to the
success of the artist, the architect the
engraver, the designer, the decorator,
the sign writer and other craftsmen
too numerous to mention. Courts of
last resort have recognized and defer
entiaily treated the theory of illusions
while shrewd attorneys thru the appli-
cation of a knowledge of their gov
erning principles have been enabled
to confuse and virtually impeach the
evidence of reputable and conscien-
tious witnesses, thereby swaying the
decisions of juries and courts.
The successful modiste and the
popular tailor have long since learned
to respect the laws of illusions, and,
as result, corpulent persons are sell
dom seen appareled in fabrics of a
checked design; nor do they show
a partiality for colors other than black,
or the darker shades of blue or green.
Small thin people dress in red, white,
orange and yellow, while tall persons
forgo vertical stripes-and, in that one
respect at least, most of us of the shut
in colony are glad to conform to the
dictates of good taste.
In conclusion 1 would direct your
attention to field wherein the practi-
cal application of the laws of illusion
is as yet in It's infancy. 1 refer to the
field of advertising.
AS may be seen the primary cause of
all illusions abldes in some mal-adjust-
ment of the visual organs, and the
advertiser is quite justified in seeking
to take advantage of so universal a
defect, and in many cases it could be
done to good advantage
While advertisers, as class, rely
chiefly on the laws of immensity to
engender intensity of attention, they
have not, until very recently, made any
we'll directed or even conscious effort
to profit by the use of illusions in their
illustrations and construction of dis
play matter. One has but to notice the
advertising pages of the many current
periodicals to fully realize the advan-
tages to be derived from liberal use of
the principles herein noted. 1t would
seem that in but a small number of
cases have advertisers grasped their
commercial value but, doubtless,
as their many possibilities become bet
ter understood they will be more uni
versally employed.
The manufacturers of a well-known
brand of breakfast foods encase their
goods in packages of radical checker
board design, and thereby apparently
increase the size.
As rule the cuts illustrating foun-
tain pens represent the pen in hori-
zontal position. Whether by accident
or design deponent knoweth not-but
have recently noticed and show
herewith few advertisements
wherein the pen is shown in
vertical position and this has the ad-
vantage of making the pen look larger.
| For the same reason a similar ruse
might profitably be adopted by the
several mail order concerns that are at
present so extensively advertising
cigars-and it needs but glance at
the "ads" inserted by shoe manufac-
turers to reveal the possibilities IN
connection with that line of merchan-
disc.
Thus one might continue, indefinitely,
but it is not the function of this paper
to suggest just how the several princi-
Piles herein outlined might be made to
do profitable duty in any concrete
case. In the never ceasing strife for
commercial supremacy advertising
plays no secondary role, and as the
alert man of business oftentimes un-
consciously anticipates the discoveries
of science, have faith to believe that
so, too, will the astute and ever-ingen-
ious advertiser learn to apply, and
profit, by the laws of illusion-for as
the able author of our textbook says:
eyes and No.eyes journeyed together.
N0-eyes saw only what thrust itself
upon him; Eyes was on the watch for
everything. Eyes used the funda-
mental method of all knowledge
observation, or watching"
A. KsAR BEN.