Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-24
JUST A FEW FACTS
ABOUT ADVERTISING

in its forty-fifth issue on the second
page. 1t was published on Oct. 4,
164S, and read:
THE reader is desired to pursue
a Sermon Entitled A Looking
Glass for Jewelers." AS preached
at st. Peter. Paules Wharf. on
Sunday, September Gath, 164S.
This booke by Paul Knell, Master
of Arts. And another tract called
"A Reflex Upon Our Reformers,
With Prayer for the Parliament
to be sold at Stationers' Hall, the
Golden Fleece and the Booke and
Scroll"
In an issue of "Mercurius Politicus''
printed and published by Marchmont
Nedham (described by contemporary
as being Perhaps both the ablest and
readlest man that has yet tried his
hands at a newspaper there appear
ed In January, 1862, an advertisement
winch has often been enormously cited
as the first newspaper advertisement.
1t read as follows:
Irenodia Gratlatoria, a Heroic
Foem, Delng congratultory
panegyric for my Lord Generals
return, summing up his successes
IN an exquisite manner. To be
sold by John Holden, in the New
Exchange, printed by Thomas
New court, 1862, London"
In the Crosby records of William
Blundell there is an interesting COM
ment, dated 1869, on the lack of ad-
vertising facilities at that period. 1t
reads 1t would be most eXpedient
II each parish and village might have
nranaFan n Tot, ~, -,
the church or smithy wherein to pub
llsh upon-by printed papers posted
up-to make known the wants either
OF the buyer or the seller. as such a
neld TO be let, such a service, etc, ETC.,
or to print or publish the wants of
buyer and seller in the weeklie News
paper and to paste the said up for con-
Venient perusal or to have a circular
printed in abundance and tied with a
stringe that each may take himself
copy"
The Editors Protest
And so we see that William Blundell
knew that it pays to advertise even in
1853. In June, 1866, the London Ga
zette now regular newspaper (Wil-
liam Blundells advice having borne
good fruiD, felt called on to launch a
protest and did so emphatically as fol-
lows: AN Advertisement-Be Being
daily pressed to the publication of
books, medicines, articles of trade and
other things not being strictly and
properly the business of newspaper
of intelligence, the Editor gives here
by notice, ONCE AND FOR ALL,
that we will not charge the Gazette
with the printing of advertisement
hereafter for any one Whatsoever
unless it be that they have matter of
State or important intelligence of pub
II =; import; but that g paper of ad-
vertisements will be forthwith printed
apart, x recommended to the publick
for that purpose by another hand"
careful perusal of such advertise
ments as have been handed down
from these early experiments shows
that with the exception of formal
notices, advertisements seemed to be
concerned exclusively with either
books or quack remedies. The first
trade advertisement aside from these
was, curiously enough, the initial an
nouncement of a new commodity that
is still extensively advertised - tea.
The following announcement appeared
in the "Mercurius Politicus" No, 435
for September 26, 1868:
That most excellent, and by all
. Physicians approved, China Drink,
called by the Chineans Tcha, and
Dy some other nations Tay, alias
Tee and The, is now to be sold at
the Sultaness Head. Cophee-
House in Sweetings Rents. close
by the Royal Exchange, London.
This pleasing drinke will be found
palatable to take as a common
drinke in the stead of Cophee."
This advertisement was printed az
times in various workings at an aver
age cost of seven shillings per inser-
tion. In 1916 an English cocoa manu-
facturer spent E243,000 in Great Bri-
tain alone to advertise one brand of
cocoa.
Advertisers Taxed
From the year 1894 until 1927 the
English government collected a tax