Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-22
oSeph Pencil Declares They
Are a National Blot, Steal
ing Beauty of Country and
Town
BY JOSEPH PENNELL
World Famous American Artist, H.
illustrator and AuthOr.)

1uSbEdbOE y
NEW YORK.-BilIboard are a ma
tional blot. Every billboard in the
United States ought to be abolished.
They steal the beauty Of country
and town. They are built by vulgar
money grabbers to appeal to the il
literate. They are denominations that
debauch the country-a positive
proof of Americas degeneracy.
Why should we have to look at
mammoth eye-sores that tell us
what to eat and drink and smoke and
chew?
Newspapers are the place for ad-
vertisements. If you don't want to
look at them you don't have ito. BIT
the billboards glare at you, defacing
the cities and defiling the country.
Great advertisers who use the
newspapers don't use billboards.
Every spot of beauty in the coun-
try is fouled by some gigantic sign
devoted to pills and piffle. Even the
churches would save you by them.
The bill stickers can't make them
artistic. They can't get a decent
artist to work on them. I know an
artist who was said to have turn d
down an offer of $4,000 rather than
have his art reduced to such filth.
Billboards don't appeal to intelli-
gent people, but only to illiterate
OATS. America is being flooded with
the rubbish Of Europe and this form
Of fool advertising is dedicated to
them.
Cowardice of the highbrows, who
could stop the billboard disgrace if
they wanted to, and the Internal ig.
norance of the people appealed to are
to blame. We nave plenty Of laws
to stop them, but the laws are not
enforced. No law is enforced N this
country if anybody can make some
M y by breaking it. 20.
They stopped them in England
where it is illegal to put up any bill
board which obscures the view of the
landscape. In cities it is illegal to
put up a billboard that is a silhou.
tette against the sky. And it is lille
gal to throw an illuminated sign in
the sky-as they are now talking OF
doing here. TIC laws m IN that
all billboards are illegal.
If there must he outdoor advertis'
| ing let them use small posters on
! buses that do not s nd still and OBJ
| Iiterate scenery; or kiosks for post
ers as in France.
Billboard men themselves admit
| billboards are only one per cent of all
IadVertising.s Well, if it's so small
as that it wouldn't be much loss to
the bill ST. s ! bilr were
| torn down.
Rotten signs arc all over the coun
try The waste Of lumber and cleo
trio light on Broadway proves we
are idotic children. Chicago had its
| blot in a huge Boost Chicago" sign
at the entrance to the fine new
bridge leading to a chewing gum fac
tory. Near Grants tomb the streets
are full of defacements. The beauti
full Horseshoe curve near Altoona
has a billboard monstrosity 'WeI
come to Our City"
What we need IS a cabinet depart
ment to regulate these things
minister of fine arts who could res
cue a country now going to ruin.
To get rid of billboards tax them
out of existence. Tax the farmer
who rents his harm, the landowner
who permits a sign to be erected, thf
bill sticker who puts up the bill, and
the goods that are advertised. AND
make the taxes so high that they will,
wreck the billboard.