TRADE SYMBOLS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 10, 12 January 1929, Page 18

TRADE SYMBOLS

use, of the, cbaphic sign "All\tho fancy; £lt lettering now seen on display.-windows ; .to •' tell. ,th.c; public what- may ■be bought.inside-hav.o- not yet been able'to Chase picturelanguage from ■■■the.Vshop--fronts of New ■ York..; The'passer-by.may ascertain what many i ■of:'the establishments'"sell by. their: characteristic symbols (says the "New; York Times") •■< The graphic-sign onco: meant to certain' businesses' what" ttio■•'. trade-mark means-'to' certain articles to-day* and is still kept'by some ,of; them.. A.barber shop"may function'without'tlie striped pole in front, but few of them do. Their way of ■■"•• advertising • -their up-to-date methods, consists: of elaborating -. .the -old-fashioned-sign' instead of relinquishing it r 'They ,malc6-; it -bigger and. brighter and cause, it .to .revolve :by electricity.' Pawnshops are only ; a little; Jess faithful to their three golden balls.. Plenty .of the : globes still gleam put-; side'the counters' where;', family jewels; and inlaid guitars' are, converted more.' W less temporarily, into cash. " • ; The-tobacco shop, on tho-other hand,has' divorced -itself almost entirely .from the Indian maid or chief who >■ once, guarded it;-yet even the wooden In-; dian has not disappeared entirely. One ..member of the tribe,'., resplendent, in fresh paint,- holds his post undaunted in; the .'East Fortios,-near Madison.; avenue.'

' Tho east side offers ; the' most vigor-; ous survival of'the. symbolic method .'of: proclaiming~nvares. Perhaps it is "bo-^ cause 'progress penetrates .here '.slowly,') or it may, be that .the graphic sign is' useful where-so/many dift'erent. „ia.n-: gusges are spoken.: There is:hardly an; apothe'ary on lower. Second 'avenue., ■who has ■abandoned, the coloured glassjars' that once marked'every''drug's.tore. Outside of some;,is. hung a largo'pic-; tured mortar and pestle, -r- Dentists in. that section- put:"out-lai'go ; 'pictured: sets of false teeth in high relief or a^siiiglo' jabbed niqlar't'o/indicatej:';their I.calling;; and 'photographers display : •' signboar.dj suggestions;,.of., their, 'art,, .Some.-'shop- 1 Iveepc'rs/go a.' step, furflie.i'.'aiid' ! harig...r l ut : ! a.samplesof 4heir stb&'Uff!.?. :*". j\;:"'•;••■' ;

The graphic shop sign is a designa-: tion of .certain, trades wherever, found-in thd city. The 1-maker: of keys hangs out a huge tokens of ;'.his /craft; the repairer of a bbpt/cruflely cut oufpf.'W.ood;. the .'paint: mal;'a sigii in tin; shape of a 1 keg,.; The . mmiV who cleans and blocks ;hats,.usually., paints a ■clei;by ; ..on- his s.igji, aiid'.jiiaiiy.-Avlui'vsci'vc quick, lunch-ios- -.oufriiue- a^tpft'ec pot to' attract the attraction of the hungry.