A History of Advertising from the Earliest Times.Sampson, Henry
History
A History of Advertising from the Earliest Times.
Sampson, Henry
Advertising -- History
another--‘Bless me, what an extensive business they must have!’ The
auctioneers to this day stipulate to have all their advertisements
inserted at once, that they may impress the public with great ideas of
their extensive business. They will not have them dribbled out, a few at
a time, as the days of sale approach. The journals have of late years
adopted the same rule with the same design. They keep back
advertisements, fill up with pamphlets, and other stuff unnecessary to a
newspaper, and then come out with a swarm of advertisements in a double
sheet to astonish their readers, and strike them with high ideas of the
extent of their circulation, which attracts so many advertisers. The
meagre days are forgotten, the days of swarm are remembered.”
In the same gossiping manner Stuart speaks again of this rage for
swarming advertisements: “The booksellers and others crowded to the
_Morning Post_, when its circulation and character raised it above all
competitors. Each was desirous of having his cloud of advertisements
inserted at once in the front page. I would not drive away the short,
miscellaneous advertisements by allowing space to be monopolised by any
class. When a very long advertisement of a column or two came, I charged
enormously high, that it might be taken away without the parties being
able to say it was refused admission. I accommodated the booksellers as
well as I could with a few new and pressing advertisements at a time.
That would not do: they would have the cloud; then, said I, there is no
place for the cloud but the last page, where the auctioneers already
enjoy that privilege. The booksellers were affronted, indignant. The
last page! To obtain the accommodation refused by the _Morning Post_,
they set up a morning paper, the _British Press_; and to oppose the
_Courier_, an evening one--the _Globe_. Possessed of general influence
among literary men, could there be a doubt of success?” The _Globe_ has
stood the test of time, and though it has seen vicissitudes, and has
changed its politics within recent years, it now seems as firmly
established as any of its contemporaries that is independent of
connection with a morning paper.
* * * * *
We have now reached the end of our journey so far as the education of
advertisers and the development of advertisements are concerned. By the
commencement of the present century matters were very nearly as we find
them now; and so in the following chapters only those examples which
have peculiar claims to attention will be submitted.
CHAPTER XI.
_CURIOUS AND ECCENTRIC ADVERTISEMENTS._
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