Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-12-05

are shown the more readily they are
sold. Hence such expressions as
well shown is half sold"
Showing goods well is also the best
way of advertising them, and as most
advertising is for the purpose of SELL
ing goods, its value depends on the
amount Of goods sold by one plan or
number
For bringing the greatest number
of possible buyers within the influence
of this short range advertising by the
salesman, there is no more effective
agency-for most lines of retail trade
at any rate-than show window
properly used.
Probably fewer windows in our city
at the present are attracting more at
tention than the displayin the window
of the Otto Pharmacy. west side, and
of which Mrs. Otto is the designer. The
neat and tasteful arrangement of the
articles displayed partakes largely of
/ Cl4O 2 VI q plOINIO. IL ID cS dl lloIiS
and attractive as possible to the eye
and yet simple and clear to the under
standing. 1t is one of which the de-
signer may well be proud.
Show windows may attract or turn
away trade. They make a first i'm
preston on d merchants possible
customer-the passerby; and the kind
of impression they make may easily
determine in many cases whether or
not an occasional customer is to con-
tinue to be merely that. TO be rendered
positively atagonistic, or turned into
a regular customer.
The show window is product of
evolution, it is development. 1t
would be interesting, if practicable to
trace this development step by step,
from time when window was only
thought of as means for admitting
light, to the modern bulk window
that shows goods. In fact now
days in the up-to-date store the win
dow as light admitter is of secondary
Importance to the window as more or
less of a ''show CASE" in which wares
are spread out before the eyes of the
paSser by.
But just when and where the first
and subsequent steps were taken in
the evolution of the show windows it
is impossible to say.
There is little if any literature on
the subject, but the general process
can doubtless be shown by picturing
what probably took place in the evo-
luton of the drug store windows.
At some time and place in the far
distant past, an apothecary had an in
spiration. He knew, by having been
taught, or finding it out for himself
that he could make bright colored So
buttons, and the thought occurred to
him that by filling some bottles with
blue, red or green liquids and putting
them in his little window, he would
mark his shop out from all others as
that of the apothecary.
The plan must have worked well
and attracted his competitors atten-
tion first; and then the novelty of it
brought all the curious among his
! town folk to look at what the apoth-
ecary had done. Gradually other
apothecaries thought the idea good
one and adopted it. More or less
rapidly the practice grew in favor
until the colored glass bottles
gradually developing in ornamental
globes and jars, became recognized
drug shop symbols throughout the
civilized world.
This, therefore was one step, and
an important one in the evolution of
the apothecary's windows. The owner
had found out that it could be turned
to direct commercial advantage.
Encouraged by his first success the
old-time druggist or possibly one of
his successors some years later,
thought it would be a good idea to
put one of his night lights behind
these bottles or jars of colored liquids.
This also proved success, made a
mild sensation perhaps at first, and
far up and down the street until the
early bedtime hours of those days,
the cleaning colored lights shone out
amid the surrounding darkness, point
ing the way to Eye Apothecaries'
Shnr,n
step; the druggist had learned some
thing about how.to make bis window