The art of decorating dry goods windows and interiors

by L. Frank Baum

Without advertising the modern merchant sinks into oblivion. The busy world forgets him, and he is left to himself—to rust, to vegetate, or to fail ignominiously.

Merchants of olden times stood in front of their shops and cried “buy!—buy!” in imploring tones. Modern merchants still cry “buy!—buy!” but they do it in a different way. They advertise in newspapers and display their wares in their show windows.

These are the three grades—the three developments in advertising. The street crier, the newspapers, the show window. The last mode of inducing trade is the modern one, and therefore the best. More goods are sold through window display than through newspaper advertising. It is more direct. The newspaper advertisement says: “We have goods to sell.” The show window says: “Here they are!”

But the judicious use of advertising through newspapers must not be discouraged. Every man, woman and child in town does not pass your windows. Those who do not may read in the newspaper of your attractive display of goods, and so be induced to pass your way.

The most successful of modern merchants use the newspapers to announce their window displays. This combination of the two greatest forces in advertising has been found to succeed beyond any other method.

To make a display of goods in your window that is most attractive, that will sell readily the articles exhibited, is to-day acknowledged an art.

Many things are to be considered. There are the technicalities to be learned, judgment and good taste to be exercised, color harmony to be secured; and, above all, there must be positive knowledge as to what constitutes an attractive exhibit, and what will arouse in the observer cupidity and a longing to possess the goods you offer for sale.

It has been said that a window decorator is born, and not made. Yet we find that those “born” decorators must acquire knowledge of technicalities and detail work before they can succeed. Who shall determine which are “born,” and which are “made” decorators? The “born musician” must, unfortunately, learn to play the fiddle, and the “born blacksmith” must be taught to shoe a horse. And the worldly cynic will tell you that under proper instruction and with a desire to learn, any son of Adam can play the fiddle or shoe a horse.

I have never known a man who desired to learn the art of decorating fail to attain skill and subsequent success. Perhaps it is only those “born” ones who desire to learn.

It is true that a clumsy man, a man without judgment or taste, a man destitute of knowledge of the requirements of modern merchandizing, might prove a lamentable failure as a store decorator. But I have never known such a man desire to learn the art.