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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 17, 1911)
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEK : SEPTEMBER 17. 1911. 3 J Mid. ttention in Omaha1 f 1 c IS The "1900" Washer Company, 308 South Klghteenth street, sup ports one of the most novel signs In the city. It Is known an a "V" shape sign and has two of the "100" washing mat-hlnes on It. Both arr illuminated and both ate "action" devices. The tubs of both tho washers are In action and turn part way around and then twist back, showing the exart action of the real washing machines. Tho border of the sign is fringed with large bulbs which show off the whole 'device to excellent advantage. ELECTRIC SIGNS ATTRACTIVE (Continued from Page Two.) confined to the business district alono. One naturally expects the downtown streets, which are the main arteries of traffic, to be a "gay white way;" but the widespread use of the electric signs for ad vertising purposes, coupled with co-opera tive Illumination by mercantile associa tions, has transformed every neighborhood shopping district into a brilliant night scene with store after store Illuminating the street with a bewildering display of elec tric .signs, each telling Its own simple story. Man Necessity Today. Not very long ago an elec'trle sign was considered a fad; today It is regarded as a business necessity. Life and light start with' the same letter. Commercially, as W. C. Jenkins points out In a recent ar ticle In the National Magazine, the words are synonymous and tho same is true of darkness and business death. The streets of a da'rk city are usually deserted at night, while a well-lighted thoroughfare attracts thousands who delight In an even ing stroll and have money to spend. The ultimate aim of every advertiser Is to burn his name or that 1 of his wares Into the minds of pedestrians, presumptive shoppers, once their Interest has been caught. It has therefore become one of the fundamental rules of successful pub llclty that advertising shall appeal to the eye. With this Idea in view nothing could succeed lh accomplishing this result with greater force than certain electric signs which adorn Omaha's streets. 3 0. & O CO 0 O O O CO O c . i ml v.k if ... a .i . .... f More than 300 brilliant lights are used In illuminating the miniature taxlcab which serves excellently as a sign for the Franklin Taxlcab Co., whose stand is located in the Merchants Hotel on Farnam Street. , The sign is suspended by means of proper guy ropes and hangs over the entrance of the hotel. All of the lights are stationary but the rapid lighting and extinguishing of the lamps produce the effect of wheels revolving at the rate of 125 revolutions per minute. The flashing performance of the sign Is accomplished by means of a motor driven switch which has one wire for each lamp and is, automatically, controlled. " ." - 4 - ' r MWrf Wdw mi IS-. Omaha's Greatest Electric Sign A Night View from the Paxton Hotel This monstrous overflowing mug bign is erected on the three-story building lo ciited on the northeast corner of Fourteenth and Farnam streets. It is built of chan nel iron frame work and is provided with concave letters. It is 34 feet high, SO feet w ide, 4 feet 6 inches elevation from roof of building, single face and contains 971 sockets. Drink Liquid Sunshine comes on first, then Luxus, then The Beer You Like. As soon as the wording is all on. the foam starts to rising over the top and fall down the Fides of the glass in a very realistic manner. It is regarded by competent critics as one of the finest electric signs in the mntrv. FRED KRUG BREWING COMPANY Founded 1859. The enormous Increase In the use of elec tric signs, however. Is the best pnxif that the possibilities of such means of publicity are becoming recognlised and that their easy adaptability and flexibility are ful filling the requirements of the udvertisers. Divided Into Tno Classes. Electric signs may be divided into two classes the large spectacular display sign, often placed on the roofs of buildings, and the far mors numerous small signs gener ally used on or projected from store fronts. The large signs are used generally by gen eral advertisers, who desire to call atten tion to their wares In a manner that cannot be overlooked by anyone. These signs are often specially designed and beautifully displayed In colors, frequently with mov ing lines of light In. various combinations controlled by an automatic sign flasher. The small store electric sign is u charac teristically modern feature of city decora tion. While much of the display Is dls tlnctly advertising In character, yet It con tributes In no small measure to make the streets attractive to the people. An elec- trlo sign Is at once an advertisement and a welcome. T he demand for more light Is becoming 'greater each year, and with this Increase In the use of light comes naturally greater safety and cheer. There are approximately 2,000 hours each year of darkness between dusk and mid night, i'racticalily all these hours are available for electric sign advertising, be cause theaters, nodal affairs and various functions keep the people on the street to a great extent during this entire time. In this way the progressive merchant derives the greatest benefit from the effective em ployment of this striking means of attract ing custom to his store. For neighborhood tradespeople the electric sign is undoubt edly superior to any form of advertising There are a large number of merchants in Omaha whose location forbids the use of other methods of publicity. For these the electric sign is easily within the reach of even the smallest merchant and affords an opportunity for effective and direct advertising. I The Omaha Electric Light & Power company, which supplies the electric current- for Omaha's sign display, has marked a decided step forward In the pro gress of electrical Illumination. This com pany has done much for the increased use of electrical advertising by providing and erecting signs, supplying light and main tenance on a riat weekly or monthly basis. For this maintenance service a corps of experts Is employed who do noth ing but keep the signs In the highest state of efficiency. Under such conditions the merchant 1b not only assured of the moBt modern Ideas in sign publicity, but they are obtained at the minimum cost. Use of Sign One Chanitc The use of electric signs, however, is not the only remarkable change In mercantile methods during the last few years. A comparatively young man can remember the time when merchants pulled down their shades when the store was closed for the night and business ceased while the ex penses went on without interruption. Nowadays crowds of pedestrians are at tracted to the windows during the evening hours by well-lighted displays, and a tempt' Ing tradejgetter is silently doing Its work, oftentimes while the merchant sleeps. The exploitation of merchandise by means of effective displays has grown apace In recent years. Every up-to-date merchant now appreciates the pulling power of his window space. It Is remarkable how the art of the window trimmer has been height ened by brilliant lighting, which gives colors their original values. The night scene on Farnam and Douglas streets, to say nothing of the displays In the neighbor hood shopping districts, puts daylight fairly to blush, and from the merchant's stand point his window displays are of greater value at night because there Is time for passersby . to make an unhurried inspec tion of his merchandise. But the keen merchant realizes that no matter how compelling his window displays may be, unless the interior of his store is bright and cheerful he cannot secure results. Consequently well lighted windows have come to mean a store interior that makes shopping a pleasure. the talking sign and latr fie anlmatel Inn. Wonltl Mean larh. Tho nlie of this electric advertising Is ap parent from the Inrye hmount or capital in vested In the construction end maintenance of the monster roof signs that are familiar to every Oniahan. But the field has by no means been covered. A short trip on any business street will show hundreds of large buildings admirably adapted for this class of display. TtulIdliiKS of this sort are going up by the score. Nearly all of them over, top the surrounding structures and can be seen for long distance. Most of these fac tories display at least their name In huge painted signs upon their yvalls. An electric slun i-initially p'aied would glvo tremendous publicity, to nny business . at a time when other signs are dead and unnoticed. ISvery factory so equipped would acquire an actual tangible Identity In the minds of the public which no amount of printed advertising could accomplish alone. Many large concerns realize the advantage of having their name In their newspaper advertising and on their pack ages of goods. They are known as an Omaha concern by Omaha people who see their electric sign, talk about It and feel a sort of local pride In a progressive busi ness. It will be the question of only a few years before the main arteries of travel radiating from the heart of Omaha will be as brilliantly Illuminated by electric signs .as Farnam street Is today. Eectrlc signs will make Omaha the "Electric City" of the west and give It a brilliancy that will astound the traveler and at the same time speak In no unc?rtaln language of the advantages of a community of progressive industries. " m!TTKmBm!!!'wm'mny s-"r t - ' 1 I w mm, a. iif This Is One of the effective action signs of the rlty. A rob. blcr Is exhibited here and through a neat arrangement of the' sign ho Is represented as pegging at the shoe. Not showing in this picture, is another arm which coine down to the slme. When the lights on the arm now visible go out the other bulVta burn, giving action which makes it look ns though the "man wej-e driving nails Into the shoe. There are 1SS Incandescent lights operated In this Illuminated sign, which Is located at 1804 Farnam street, attracting much attention every night. If MSB hi mhry Developments On. sees new developments r.very year sees new developments In electric Illumination and its Increased use by enterprising merchants everywhere. When the electric sign was first intro duced it consisted of a printed surface Il luminated by electric lamps. Gradually individual letters studded with incandes cent lamps came Into use. Then followed People who stand at the Union Station or who look east from either the Tenth or Sixteenth street viaduct have their gaze met by a brilliant electric sign that rests on top of the Metz brewery, Sixth and Leavenworth streets. The letters of this big display read "Metz Der." There are 500 hundred powerful lights in this sign. The fact that the brewery is located in a part of the city that has few high buildings gives this sign a wide range and makes it draw attention for many blocks. This advertisement aids much in giving Omaha the appear ance of a city. It impresses visitors with the spirit of merchants who are willing to light up their buildings with the best possible means of display. Some visitors have been heard to ask why other firms in this river district do not have big electric signs. Local people have replied that these other firms are progressive, and that they soon will also be telling of their business with great displays. I C II Inlivi 20th and Harney Sts. COMMERCIAL AND l (7 ill I?1 D (3 D .Til Largest Manufacturers of Electric Signs in the World. THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THE ELECTRIC SIGNS WE HAVE ERECTED IN OMAHA Old Dutch Cleanser Holeproof Hosiery Hotel Loyal Hotel Rome Metz Bros. Brewing Co. Brandeis Theater Hotel Plaza And dozens of smaller signs.