登陆注册
15385300000076

第76章 An Adventure in Civic and Private Art (2)

While Bok did not solve the problem of bill-board advertising, and while in some parts of the country it is a more flagrant nuisance to-day than ever before, he had started the first serious agitation against bill-board advertising of bad design, detrimental, from its location, to landscape beauty.He succeeded in getting rid of a huge bill-board which had been placed at the most picturesque spot at Niagara Falls; and hearing of "the largest advertisement sign in the world" to be placed on the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, he notified the advertisers that a photograph of the sign, if it was erected, would be immediately published in the magazine and the attention of the women of America called to the defacement of one of the most impressive and beautiful scenes in the world.The article to be advertised was a household commodity, purchased by women; and the owners realized that the proposed advertisement would not be to the benefit of their product.The sign was abandoned.

Of course the advertisers whose signs were shown in the magazine immediately threatened the withdrawal of their accounts from The Ladies'

Home Journal, and the proposed advertiser at the Grand Canyon, whose business was conspicuous in each number of the magazine, became actively threatening.But Bok contended that the one proposition had absolutely no relation to the other, and that if concerns advertised in the magazine simply on the basis of his editorial policy toward bill-board advertising, it was, to say the least, not a sound basis for advertising.No advertising account was ever actually withdrawn.

In their travels about, Mr.McFarland and Bok began to note the disreputably untidy spots which various municipalities allowed in the closest proximity to the centre of their business life, in the most desirable residential sections, and often adjacent to the most important municipal buildings and parks.It was decided to select a dozen cities, pick out the most flagrant instances of spots which were not only an eyesore and a disgrace from a municipal standpoint, but a menace to health and meant a depreciation of real-estate value.

Lynn, Massachusetts, was the initial city chosen, a number of photographs were taken, and the first of a series of "Dirty Cities" was begun in the magazine.The effect was instantaneous.The people of Lynn rose in protest, and the municipal authorities threatened suit against the magazine; the local newspapers were virulent in their attacks.

Without warning, they argued, Bok had held up their city to disgrace before the entire country; the attack was unwarranted; in bad taste;every citizen in Lynn should thereafter cease to buy the magazine, and so the criticisms ran.In answer Bok merely pointed to the photographs;to the fact that the camera could not lie, and that if he had misrepresented conditions he was ready to make amends.

Of course the facts could not be gainsaid; local pride was aroused, and as a result not only were the advertised "dirty spots" cleaned up, but the municipal authorities went out and hunted around for other spots in the city, not knowing what other photographs Bok might have had taken.

Trenton, New Jersey, was the next example, and the same storm of public resentment broke loose--with exactly the same beneficial results in the end to the city.Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was the third one of America's "dirty cities." Here public anger rose particularly high, the magazine practically being barred from the news-stands.But again the result was to the lasting benefit of the community.

Memphis, Tennessee, came next, but here a different spirit was met.

Although some resentment was expressed, the general feeling was that a service had been rendered the city, and that the only wise and practical solution was for the city to meet the situation.The result here was a group of municipal buildings costing millions of dollars, photographs of which The Ladies' Home Journal subsequently published with gratification to itself and to the people of Memphis.

Cities throughout the country now began to look around to see whether they had dirty spots within their limits, not knowing when the McFarland photographers might visit them.Bok received letters from various municipalities calling his attention to the fact that they were cognizant of spots in their cities and were cleaning up, and asking that, if he had photographs of these spots, they should not be published.

It happened that in two such instances Bok had already prepared sets of photographs for publication.These he sent to the mayors of the respective cities, stating that if they would return them with an additional set showing the spots cleaned up there would be no occasion for their publication.In both cases this was done.Atlanta, Georgia;New Haven, Connecticut; Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and finally Bok's own city of Philadelphia were duly chronicled in the magazine; local storms broke and calmed down-with the spots in every instance improved.

It was an interesting experiment in photographic civics.The pity of it is that more has not been done along this and similar lines.

The time now came when Bok could demonstrate the willingness of his own publishing company to do what it could to elevate the public taste in art.With the increasing circulation of The Ladies' Home Journal and of The Saturday Evening Post the business of the company had grown to such dimensions that in 1908 plans for a new building were started.For purposes of air and light the vicinity of Independence Square was selected.Mr.Curtis purchased an entire city block facing the square, and the present huge but beautiful publication building was conceived.

Bok strongly believed that good art should find a place in public buildings where large numbers of persons might find easy access to it.

同类推荐
  • 明制女官考

    明制女官考

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 七剑十三侠

    七剑十三侠

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天童弘觉忞禅师北游集

    天童弘觉忞禅师北游集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 玉照神应真经

    玉照神应真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 世纬

    世纬

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 符灵高手

    符灵高手

    他一出生,就被父亲抛弃,被父亲的好友抚养长大,过去的仇怨、家族的秘密、父亲抛弃他的原因……众多谜团都只能靠一本奇书《阿卡西克史录》来解答。
  • 水晶花之恋

    水晶花之恋

    情绪好变的她,遇见了自大的王子殿下。可其他的人,却总是想加害他们。被抱养的她,能否配上他?
  • 血魔尊

    血魔尊

    世人都称呼我为魔,呵呵!世人又何懂我入魔!欲成魔不成仙佛我诺成魔,天下便没仙佛我诺成仙佛天下便无魔
  • 绝世大帝王

    绝世大帝王

    我欲风流天下,成就绝世帝王。本书百度贴吧——————《异界之大败类系统》吧!!!461662827,书友群!!
  • 仙妻,过来抱!

    仙妻,过来抱!

    她转世为人,他穷追不舍,只当雪妍以为自己的找到了真命天子时,却发现墨澜原是自己的毛团,更是傲视三界的仙君,而他曾经对她做过那样伤害的事情!这一世,她归为仙班,决不再相信爱情,这一世,他面对死劫,想护她最后的周全。
  • 醉恋清风

    醉恋清风

    一场车祸后,一个二十一世纪女性的灵魂进入康熙年间一个少女的体内。为了生存,她选择入宫,却与康熙的儿子们展开一场爱恨纠缠,自由和爱,她将如何决择?在那古老的岁月里,是否曾有过这么一位女子?也曾有过相同的故事?我为何在这?假如我来这一世,只为与你相遇,只为了叹息间那一刹那里所有的甜蜜和悲凄,那么,就让一切该发生的,都在瞬间出现吧!那么,就算我笑灿了春花也别说我傻,就算我流泪了也别笑我软弱。如果,我就是那名女子。
  • 末日后的浮空城

    末日后的浮空城

    电能莫名消失,灾难转瞬而至。进30年时光过去,规则的改变,那些原来只是电视和游戏里的东西,已经不在那么的遥不可及。魔法,道术,魔法枪械,以及行尸,鬼魂,变异兽,以及新的智慧生命。主角为2015年因为一场车祸穿越的宅男,在新世界探索的故事。
  • 圣阁

    圣阁

    这原本是一个平静的大陆,一道突如其来的闪电打破了原本的平静……穿越而来的蓝爵替代了和他同名少年,一步步打败敌人,扭转乾坤的故事。
  • 洪荒之禁

    洪荒之禁

    上天让他从封印中苏醒,让他能再有一个修炼人生,且看他如何揭晓天地间的秘密。
  • 四季总惜春

    四季总惜春

    在这个春之季里将抽出怎样的新绿?当人们还在惊讶以往的仅仅靠着运气为生的废柴少女如今的高度时,她已经又飞到了另一个地方去了。没有朋友?看如今我的朋友比你们好多少。没有实力?怎么我把你们的战神打败了呢?没有钱?现在金銖我可是大把抓呢!没有势力?拜托,女娲在我家,嗯嗯!皇宫里呢!我可是“曈曦女皇”!翻手覆云天变脸,看我如何改变这肮脏的春,重新感受那春的美好吧!