THANKSGIVING DISPLAYS.
While much labor, time and expense is devoted to Christmas windows the trimmer often neglects his Thanksgiving displays. For this reason hardly anything strictly new is ever seen on this occasion. As a matter of fact, it is much easier to scheme for Christmas than for Thanksgiving displays, as the trimmer has a greater variety of attractive material for his work at his disposal and more liberal allowances are made on his employer’s side for the occasion. Yet we can without any great expenditure produce many attractive and new Thanksgiving displays. Winter scenes of different character can easily, quickly and economically be gotten up and are very adaptable. On Thanksgiving Day we have usually snowy, wintry weather; should it happen, however, that this year this is not the case, do not let the weather interfere with your work. Thanksgiving Day being the opening day of the season a winter scene is always appropriate, very effective and makes a winning, pleasing impression upon the passerby.
THANKSGIVING DISPLAY.—Green.
If your window is large enough you may construct a pretty background by building mountains, partly covered with snow. Take old dry goods boxes of various sizes and pile them up in an irregular fashion so as to form the shape of mountains. A few boards and strips will also be required to obtain the desired effect. Cover this frame with carpet paper, that the hills, rocks and earth will be properly represented. Take care to hide the edges of the paper. Heavy old packing canvas may be used instead of paper, if you have it. Cover the paper or canvas with cheap water color, consisting of black and white mixed with a little umber brown, to give it the proper color. You do not need to be much of an artist to do this work. After it is painted cover the tops of the hills, the gullies and the floor with cotton, in such manner as to imitate snow. Place the display in the back and sides of the window, so as to leave floor space in front. From the upper parts of the mountains have a little brook or rill run down till it reaches a pond of water at the bottom. The pond is made by placing on the floor a flat wash tub, having a hole in the bottom connected with a waste pipe. The outside of the tub, up to the edge, must be hidden with rocks and snow, and the inside should be painted a brownish green. Put a few pebbles in it to cover the bottom. The brook can be arranged by using a runway of tin, painted brown, which must be bent into an irregular course, and follow the shape of the mountains. One or two pretty cascades may be made by allowing the water to fall a few inches from one trough to another. Place small stones and snow at the edges to give it a natural effect. The water may be supplied from a barrel set up in the back of the window, or by a connection with water works. A few dry branches placed here and there will represent trees. A red incandescent light behind the top of the highest mountain will give a very pretty effect to the scene, as it will look like the sun setting or a volcanic mountain. The cotton, or snow, will almost appear as on fire. To complete the picture scatter some diamond dust over the cotton to make it sparkle like snow. Some rabbits in the foreground, a form dressed as a hunter, etc., are additions which will suggest themselves to a trimmer able to procure them. Put a few goods at the front of the window and don’t forget the price cards.
For a thanksgiving scene paint a background on cloth, showing a farm, with barn, rail-fence, trees, etc., in the distance. From this background a block of turkeys is seen marching forward like a file of soldiers. All this is painted. The real scene now begins. Show the corner of a house at one side, and a farmer’s form with axe in hand, beside a stump. Two or three dead turkeys (real ones) are lying near, their heads severed from their bodies. Red paint upon the axe and stump will show the slaughter is real.
The first turkey on the painted scene could bear a placard reading, “We are ready for you,” or “A Sacrifice of the Innocents,” or something similar.
Be sure the bottom edge of the scene is covered by cotton, branches, or stones, so that the painted scene will blend into the real one.