The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-17
The Theatres High Sign.

The succeeding seasons produce
their varying phenomena In the the
atre, and this year one Of the striking
changes must make Its impression
even on those who are not often seated
inside a playhouse. 1t Is the method
OF advertising their wares In which
the showmen have this season de-.
parted from the custom OF previous
years. They no longer endeavor to
bring the public into the theatres by
Offering as an attraction a sample OF
their goods, whether 1t be the graphic
reproduction Of a scene or the counter
felt presentment Of one of the actors.
There Is no effort to show any actual
episode Of the play.
The latest development Of the poster
on the other hand devlates further
from reality than it ever did. Who
has ever seen II Of the few surviving
copies Of that old Autograph called
THE Billposter's Dream" In which
the portraits Of the celebrities OF two
decades ago, roughly reproduced by
some photographic method, are jumbled
together on a wall? 1t was just that
style Of pictorial advertisement which
the American managers for years used.
Sometimes these departed celebrities
were shown In character, hut more
frequently as In life. or course in the
case Of such famous actors as john
l.. Owens, who was always shown as
Scion Shingle; JosrPH JEFFERSON. who
was Rip; Il. l.. DAVENPORT. who was
Sir Giles Orcrrcdch, and WILLIAM j.
FLORENCE. who could only have been
the Hon. BdrdreH SIOtc, there was
no effort to separate the person from
the role with which he was chiefly
Identified in the public mind.
So for years the illustrative adver-
tlsements of the managers continued
literal and Photographic. With the
sudden artistic evolution of the poster
brought about by CHEREr. STEINLEIN,
ToULoUsE-LAuTREc and MUscHA and
the Frenchmen who first attained
eminence In this field, pOrtraiture was
not altogether neglected. 1t was In
its clever adaptation Of the subject
to the extravaganza of the new school
that the artists were most successful.
II was a secondary stage Of develop
ment which made the treatment aro-
gether symbolical. The excellent work
done by the German poster designers
to-day has Withdrawn IN it's general
tendency far from the Photographic.
II Is all suggestion and symbolism.
Our Own poster art has travelled
far from the subject matter II IL sup
posed to proclaim. Any fantastic draw
ing which possesses the elements Of
daring and humor is acceptable now.
The same picture, 40 far as its intent
Is concerned, might advertise n trag.
ely or n farce. II happens. however.
that there are few tragedies and none
Of them Is advertised so the merely
clever and amusing picture happens
TO Illustrate most frequently some
play Of comic intent.
The important element In the poster
art OF the day seems therefore to he
in the first place a picture which by
Its line and color as well az Its gro
tesque humor makes 1t different from
all other literal announcements Of fact,
and which In the second place Is suffi-
clently striking to he generally oh
served. or the least importance now
Is the fact that II should represent
any scene or person in the play adj
vertised, Or for that matter bear any
relation to It beyond sufficient EN-
phasls on Its title and the theatre Mt
which II is to ne seen. Thus are the
poster artists Of the day bound by
fewer limitations than ever.