The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-20
MILLIONS IN SHOW WINDOWS
CHRfsTMAS DISPLAYS ALREADY
WAITING TO BE PIT IN.
Men VINO do the Work Get From $500
to sls. 0<sO . Year-Onl, These VIII"
Have Travelled Can Realize How
Far Ahead the American SHOPS Are.

Far Ahea0 the American sh"t~ Mt
Millions Of dollars In merchandise will
he displayed in New York shop windows
At Christmas time. and the bare cost at
trimming these windows. which means
the expense Of the mechanical end II 1t.
will RUN well mp into the hundred thou
sands. This is inclusive of other lanes
than dry goods. but in the department
stores alone. patronized NOR" exclusively
by women. the expense Of window decora-
ton will he enormous.
/ In the big dry goods establishments OF
the country the post Of window decorator
IA most important one. and men who
hold such jobs get salaries that range
anywhere from IS 40 to $4,000.
! There il no standard for brains, was
the way one window decorator express'eti
| it in speaking of the salaries paid These
men. for the man is to bs Judged by his
value 20 the house. As with painters. the
amount a canvas brings depends To a
great degree on the personal estimate
the purchaser puts upon it
/ And 20 American women. according Ia
this specialist. is given the credit Of bring
/ ing about the evolution in shop windows
! from the time when collection of house
hold junk was shown behind a small
paned sash simply to let the public know
what sort Of goods the merchant had to
the finest production OF the window
! dresser's art displayed amid settings
that cost a fortune in themselves.
One American merchant recently dis
played what is undoubtedly the hest hit
in window dressing in this country. the
mechanical setting for which alone cost
him SO. COO To account for the sum eH-
pended there was a stunning back ground
OF rare woods. a triumph Of the cabinet
makers art. with hand carving in Renais-
sance st yie. all Of which was designed as
setting for a collect ion Of handsom. i'm
ported gowns selected TO har monte with
the background.
One window dresser in big New York
establishment who has thirty-four win
dows TO be responsible for says that
the value Of merchandise tn b. used i'll
these windows at the holiday season
will mt the very lowest estimate mount
up to $50, 600, and in all probability il ex-
pensivs furs are included will he three
times that amount.
From 500 10 $500 window will he
expended for the necessary carpentry.
draperies and other accessories. though
III rpcChl C-tSeH tHl- AMOUNT VIII i've
creased to S2.OOo. Naturally special oc
casions like Thanksgiving. Christmas
and the Horse Show offer wider oppor-
tunity for the window decorator as
well as open up larger channel for the
expenditure OF money.
Few persons have any idea OF how
far in advance of the season the window
decorator has to work. For example.
large branches of holly with many bright
red berries seen hanging conspicuously
on the wall OF the window dresser
workshop led To the inquiry AS to Its utIl-
ity in the Indian summer weather pre-
vailing at that time. oh. that was
left over from Christrnas- was the casual
remark. followed by the explanation that
the Christmas display was completed
weeks ago. Ia fact this proved To be
the case in all tho big stores: the designs
had been made mechanical accessories
built and decorations applied way back
in October. everything being in readiness
for the final installation at the proper
moment To-day the decorator is work
ing on designs for Lincoln's and WASH
inRton's Birthday settings.
American women. except those who
travel abroad. little realize" said the
window dresser what advantag. they
have over their foreign sisters in resp.c.
to extensive window displays SO ac-
custoined are they to IL that not hin sur
prises them. not even when "a new record
has been mad. But let them visit tn.
shops across the water and not tn I've i'm
pressed 10y the comparison III favor of
their own country would he Imposs Ible
To De sure. conditions are changing
on the other side all the time and par-
ticuiariy - this the case IN London WHERE
the int reduction Of dry goods stores run
IN the American plan has been very
popular. Sill the English merchant -
very conservative and 1t IL difficult for
ham 10 eradicate the habit 81 years
-Germany's shops ar. gradually he
coming American zed. and while in Francs,
there ia no comparison To the sort Of dis
play American merchants max. m the
e9t.nr and rost II their settings n,yer
thelass the French shop windows arr, .S-
travaRant IN "A small way and eXcccdip civ
attractive AZ a rule the shops ar. s,u.ll
and doubt less all tn. stock will hc placed
in the window. but the taste with which
" il arranged IN Indispui alb. One gets
rnanv hints and suggestions which are
adaptable 10 Our work here.
Not infrrCl"untly one hears The remark
made by Chicago women thai New York
has NOT near IN" gorgeous displays that
the Windy City has The two cannon
b." Judged by IN. same standards
know for have worked Their. Chicago
caters through its bIg mail order ho,isa.s
TO tremendous Western rrad. bur
about four times n year " expects AN
influx ~ visit ors and shoppers even from
the Pacific coast and for thesa prospsC-
Wv" Gus, oiners IL makes royal prspars-
{ on. Their averag" window displays ar.
not so smarr as those in New York In,
the -four for which they max. sr.,-inI
preparations come UP IN every feature
To the Clains made for them bv the
wonsn rownfolk.
New York IL different There are NO
s-asons in trade and merchants must
keep up their show windows To the ton
notch ~ excellence IN order TO cornpets. .
with their n"ighbors and gain tho attention
Of III" woman shopper who comes To New
York from the four quarters of the coun- /
try every day III the year.
SHOW windows are looked unop ~ !
ono Of tbs. best mediums ~ advert sirg.
and n woman customer ~ half won II ans.
ted by tbs. "A - Al. 3