The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-01-03
FIRST ADVERTISING
It Was Done In Egypt, on Papy-
rus, Thirty Centuries Ago.
ANCIENT PUBLICITY DEVICES.
The Greeks Used Town Criers and Mu-
sic, and Then camc Symbols and
Signboards - The Revolution That
Accompanied the Art of Printing.

sic, and hen Canc symbols ano
Signboards - The Revolution That
Accompanied the Art of Printing.
The Egyptian gentleman who sought
a runaway slave 1900 years ago and
advertised ON a bit of papyrus for his
recovery turned out the first piece of
advertising copy.
Whoever he was, he was genius in
more than small way. His copy still
lives, preserved in the British museum
as an exhibit of considerable archaeo-
logical importance and as IN example
OF what our advertising experts of to-
day would do If they, like the Egyp-
tian, did not have the benefit OF up to
date information.
The Egyptians knew nothing about
the topography of advertising nor the
effect of different colors He didn't
know, for instance, that red is the
most effective eye catching color and
that green is second and black third.
OF these and n thousand other things
that influence the character OF present
day advertisements lie was totally Ia
ignorance. But he gets full credit for
making the first attempt at written
advertisement.
The Greeks, with a fine regard for
art, usually made music part of the
advertising program. They gave us
the idea of employing bands to attract
attention. undoubtedly one of the most
successful methods of drawing crowd
at any place aud time.
At first Il town crier. accompanied
by "A musician playing Tyre or a
harp, mingled among the Greek peo-
pies and used only the best and choic-
est Greek III his extravaganza praises
Of the product be was exploiting. Lat
er, however, private advertisements III
writing began to be introduced, par
ticularly Oh the whitened walls of the
homes, giving some Information re
garding the social standing and the
axe Of the residents, their financial rat
ing and the family lineage
The Romans advertised in many
ways They named their streets. adj
vertised shows. exhibitions and sales
ON the terra Gotta walls Of public
baths. acquainted the pubic with sales
of estates aud absconded debtors and
began the practice of notifying the
Romans Of urtiGlgs,loat ani1found and
houses for sale prreut4 ~
The Romans are commonly credited
with the Origin If the sign hoard. To-
day we have the bulletin board, which
corresponds 10 the Roman tabclla
found In the ruins of Pompeii and
Herculaneum. where public announce.
ments were made.
Advertising met the same fate as the
Romans did when the Huns came
sweeping down from the north Until
the middle ages very little of it Is
seen. But with the appearance again
of the town crier supplied with the
customary long winded declarations
and choice supply Of adjectivcs, ad-
vertising began TO make itself felt III
the conduct of business affairs The
public criers began to organize them
selves both in France and in England,
and they were persons with consider
able prestige.
From crying out the superior quail
ties of merchandise and all kinds OF
goods and wares the crier soon began
10 make announcement Of things lost
and found. of sales, weddings. chris
Jennings and other interesting events
Gradually as time went on inns be-
gan to use distinctive signs and sym
bols to mark their hosto i.ies, Just as
individuals had employed coats OF
arms. All kinds of devices were used
and are still used by inns TO the pres
ent day All such signs as the blue
anchor. the black dragon, the three
tunS. the boar's head. the red lion. and
so on, made definite representations
and implications.
OF course with the development of
The printing press advertising took n
great squirt The use of posters came
into vogue, and all kinds OF pamphlets
We're printed and distributed Printing
gradually began to supersede the hand
written manuscript. William Caxton
set up his press In Westminster abbey
in 1ITl, and two centuries later, in