https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2022/08/from-dry-goods-economist-1909-selling-store-displays/ Library of Congress * Ask a Librarian * Digital Collections * Library Catalogs The Library of Congress > Blogs > Inside Adams > From the Dry Goods Economist 1909: Selling & Store Displays Search [All Formats ] [ ] Go [inside_adams-blog-banner] { subscribe_url:'//blogs.loc.gov/share/sites/ library-of-congress-blogs/inside_adams.php' } From the Dry Goods Economist 1909: Selling & Store Displays August 30, 2022 by Ellen Terrell The previous two posts about the Dry Goods Economist looked at some of the products that a dry goods dealer would want to sell in their store. For this final post, I wanted to focus on the business end of things and show a bit about what the magazine was publishing on what it took to run a dry goods store. Ads and articles would cover subjects like: features products from I. P. Frink of St. Louis and New York including three chandeliers and case lighting Cover for the Store Equipment Section Dry Goods Economist. October 30, 1909 (p. 97). * The best layout for the store. * What equipment was needed to display goods. * New ideas on window displays. * Was advertising worth it and what worked. * The products from a particular company. * What were the new companies and what were they selling. * What were the new fashion trends. * Were there any new sales trips and tricks to be learned from other dealers. In my first post I included an image from the "Store Equipment and window dressing section" from the October 30^th issue and I wanted to feature more from this issue. One article on page 99 that was a companion to the image I featured in the first post, talked about the "modernly equipped" store where "high-class fittings and admirable arrangement are factors in store's success" and illustrated the use of some of the equipment highlighting the Marott Department Store. That issue also featured a number of ads from companies. Detroit Show Case Co., the Grand Rapids Show Case Co., Wilmarth Show Case Co., and Quincy Show Case Works were advertising display cases while others advertised for other types of store equipment that included special skirt hangers, cable cash carriers, fake plants for window displays, waist and skirt forms, shelving, etc. Pretty much anything a modern store would need. There were also articles that looked at store layouts and showed window displays. The November 6^th issue had an article illustrating a 40x100 store and explained where best to put men's clothes, shoes, and fixtures. Many issues throughout the year included articles and pictorials on storefront windows and interior displays. They even looked abroad for inspiration as seen in an article in the October 30th issue about Selfridge's Fall Opening that included a few good photographs. two images top is a single mannequin with a fancy evening dress in front of heavy drapes the second image is three mannequins standing in front of an elaborate painting with a fancy frame "Striking windows in connection with Marshall Field & Co.'s opening." Dry Goods Economist. October 9, 1909 (p. 55). two images of goods packed into display cases "High class perfumery and toilet goods displays." Dry Goods Economist (p. 125). three images top is shelves with drawers with a display case with stockings, middle image features women's clothes, third features china display "Sectional views of first, second and basement floors in new store of Marott & Co., Indianapolis, Ind" Dry Goods Economist. October 30, 1909 (p. 101). three images top image features two childrens mannequins with toys in fake snow and two Christmas trees second image features a floral display, third image features a small roller coaster surrounded by goods for sale "Holiday mechanical window displays that drew crowds and sold the goods." Dry Goods Economist October 30, 1909 (p. 117). features three photograph of different handkerchief displays with them draped in different patterns "Commendable trims that offer valuable ideas for the Christmas handkerchief windows." Dry Goods Economist. November 13, 1909 (p. 81). three photographs top shows all three floors with flowers and vines draped heavily from floor to floor second and third images are window displays with women's clothing "Autumn opening decorations in store and show windows of Selfridge & Co., London."Dry Goods Economist. October 30, 1909 (p. 107). Beyond store layouts and window displays, they ran a regular column called "The Ad Critic" and even produced special sections like the "Ad Man's Number" in the November 20^th issue. This section had a number of pieces that focused on advertising, including one titled "An Expansion Sale." This article was a bit of a case study by Arthur B. Freeman who had been advertising manager for Younker Brothers in Des Moines. It looked at the store's expansion sale and the advertising that went into it. There were other pieces about a toy ad campaign and the ethics of borrowing ideas from fellow ad men. many men and women sitting around long tables and in front of filing drawers working in the mail order department "Office force, mail order department of the Cammeyer Store, New York. Dry Goods Economist. November 13, 1909 (p. 15). The Dry Goods Economist isn't the only publication targeting dry goods dealers. National Dry Goods Reporter and Drygoodsman and others have similar or complimentary coverage. For anyone studying retail history or even the history of fashion, beauty, and the garment trade, these publications would provide an important perspective. This is the last in this short series and I just want to thank you for your patience and indulging me in this project. If you have questions about this title or are looking for something in it, you can submit your question through Ask a Librarian. Do you want more stories like this? Then subscribe to Inside Adams -- it's free! Posted in: Advertising, Business, Favorites From the Fifth Floor Add a Comment >> Add a Comment Click here to cancel reply. This blog is governed by the general rules of respectful civil discourse. You are fully responsible for everything that you post. The content of all comments is released into the public domain unless clearly stated otherwise. The Library of Congress does not control the content posted. Nevertheless, the Library of Congress may monitor any user-generated content as it chooses and reserves the right to remove content for any reason whatever, without consent. Gratuitous links to sites are viewed as spam and may result in removed comments. We further reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to remove a user's privilege to post content on the Library site. Read our Comment and Posting Policy. Required fields are indicated with an * asterisk. * Name (no commercial URLs) [ ] * Email (will not be published) [ ] * Comment [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [Add a Comment] [Clear] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] D[ ] Search [ ] Go About This Blog ISSN 2691-3690 Special Category * World War I Categories * Advertising * Aeronautics/Astronautics * African American History * Asian American History * Astronomy/Mathematics * Biography * Botany * Business * Business Reference Guides * Census and Statistics * Chemistry * Cookbooks and Food * Digital Scholarship and Data * Displays and Exhibits * Favorites From the Fifth Floor * Five Questions * Gardening * Guest Blog Posts * Health Sciences * Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History * Hispanic American History * History of Science and Technology * Inventions * John Adams Building * Labor * Lunchtime Lectures and Videos * Mathematics * Military science * Native American History * New Orleans * Nobel Laureate * Pic of the Week * Presidents * Rare Books and Special Collections * Science * Sports * ST&B Division * Technical Reports and Standards * Travel * Tulsa Race Massacre * Uncategorized * Washington and the Capitol * Weather * Women's History * World War I * Zoology Archives * 2022 (27) + September (1) + August (4) + July (3) + June (3) + May (4) + April (3) + March (3) + February (3) + January (3) * 2021 (72) + December (4) + November (6) + October (5) + September (6) + August (6) + July (7) + June (3) + May (8) + April (9) + March (6) + February (5) + January (7) * 2020 (59) + December (4) + November (5) + October (6) + September (4) + August (6) + July (5) + June (8) + May (4) + April (6) + March (4) + February (4) + January (3) * 2019 (60) + December (4) + November (5) + October (9) + September (5) + August (5) + July (6) + June (4) + May (3) + April (5) + March (5) + February (4) + January (5) * 2018 (41) + December (3) + November (5) + October (3) + September (3) + August (4) + July (2) + June (3) + May (3) + April (4) + March (4) + February (4) + January (3) * 2017 (54) + December (3) + November (6) + October (6) + September (4) + August (5) + July (4) + June (5) + May (5) + April (5) + March (3) + February (5) + January (3) * 2016 (52) + December (4) + November (5) + October (4) + September (5) + August (5) + July (3) + June (3) + May (5) + April (5) + March (6) + February (3) + January (4) * 2015 (38) + December (3) + November (3) + October (3) + September (3) + August (3) + July (3) + June (3) + May (5) + April (3) + March (3) + February (2) + January (4) * 2014 (41) + December (5) + November (3) + October (4) + September (3) + August (3) + July (3) + June (3) + May (3) + April (5) + March (3) + February (3) + January (3) * 2013 (46) + December (3) + November (4) + October (3) + September (4) + August (4) + July (4) + June (3) + May (3) + April (5) + March (5) + February (5) + January (3) * 2012 (51) + December (4) + November (3) + October (5) + September (4) + August (4) + July (4) + June (5) + May (3) + April (5) + March (6) + February (4) + January (4) * 2011 (94) + December (5) + November (5) + October (7) + September (8) + August (11) + July (8) + June (9) + May (8) + April (10) + March (8) + February (8) + January (7) * 2010 (74) + December (6) + November (4) + October (4) + September (4) + August (6) + July (8) + June (6) + May (8) + April (9) + March (7) + February (8) + January (4) * 2009 (16) + December (6) + November (9) + October (1) Find ST&B on * Science Reference Service * Business Reference Services * Technical Reports & Standards * Topics in Science videos on YouTube Disclaimer Links to external Internet sites on Library of Congress Web pages do not constitute the Library's endorsement of the content of their Web sites or of their policies or products. Please read our Standard Disclaimer. Connect with the Library All ways to connect Find Us On Facebook Twitter YouTube Flickr Subscribe & Comment * RSS & E-Mail * Blogs Download & Play * Podcasts * Webcasts * iTunesU (external link) Questions * Ask a Librarian * Contact Us About | Press | Jobs | Donate Inspector General | Legal | Accessibility | External Link Disclaimer | USA.gov Speech Enabled