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In the early nineteen hundreds, when show business was probably
more fun, the nickelodeon came into being and likewise adopted this
form of advertising. Inasmuch as no printed posters were available,
exhibitors were forced to become sign writers. Garish, painted posters,
which had to be hand lettered in water colors between the times
of picking up the show at the film exchange and opening the theatre
doors, were very much in evidence in front of all nickelodeons.
Shows were not "booked" in advance and the titles of "today's" show
frequently were not known until the reels were selected for showing.
Some of the fellows were quite imaginative and since change of bill
was usually a daily matter, they became quite "proficient" as sign
men. Painted bulletins such as were displayed by the Casino Theatre,
Orwigsburg, Pa., 1908, with its three full reels (45 minutes) for
5 cents, and the Broadway Theatre, Toledo, Ohio, 1909, are cited
as exhibits.
About 1910, the film companies started including lithographs with the film. Typical are those shown at that time aty the Orpheum Theatre, Orwigsburg, Pa. Early one, three and six sheet lithographs included scenes from the picture, the title, name of the producer and number of reels. This size paper eas for all practical purposes large enough. It was to be some years before there would be theatre showings of such large proportions that current attractions could be determined from as far away as a city block or so. Attraction signs increased in size pretty much as houses increased in capacity. Early lithographs were followed by such stock signs as those made by the Federal Electric Co., Chicago. Custom made electric signs were the next development, in about the year 1914. Examples are those used by the Criterion Theatre, Chicago, and the Colonial Theatre, Chicago, using both script channel bulb letters and a transparency. Both were constructed by Federal Electric Co., Chicago. As the length of engagements was gradually extended, theatremen devoted more time and money tot he merchandizing of the attraction. The theatre front afforded one of the best and most economical means of doing this job. There was a period when the building of appropriate atmosphere fronts and lobbies was the rage. Some were very elaborate. But entrances soon became so cluttered that a "Cleaner: front with more formal displays was demanded. The era of changeable letter copy boards arrived in the year 1916. And it was so practical that no better means of displaying billing has been found even today. Subsequently, in the year 1917, came changeable bulb letters such as those used by Astor, New York, for the Ziegfield Follies, and the Majestic, Chicago, for Orpheum Circuit vaudeville. The chief disadvantage of these letters was that they cost too much to change, which was considered reason enough for quickly adopting the raised glass letters which appeared in the year 1919 and are illustrated ion the Helen Hayes, New York City, and the Vita Temple, Toledo, 1926. New York's main stem then started the use of giant spectaculars such as that on the Globe made by Artkraft-Strauss of New York, in which the figure of Captain Kidd is 30 feet tall. Such tremendous displays are used to this day, for the promotion of films rather than for theatre identification. Raised glass letters were followed in the year 1921 by the luminous type beveled edge letter into which flat glass was inserted. The advantage of this letter was that flat glass cost only a small fraction of the moulded raised glass letters. They are illustrated on the Paramount Theatre, Toledo, Ohio, in the late 20's. Then, in the early 30's, came the conversions by Wagner Sign Service from glass letters to Wagner silhouette letters in individual lines such as are illustrated in the photos of McVickers, Chicago; Gaiety, New York; and Grand, Chicago. In some instances mew lighting and single openings were installed, as at the Temple, Detroit, shown before and after the conversion in illustrations, and the Windsor, New York. Later in the thirties, I conceived the idea of marking frames on all 7" centers and slotting letters accordingly, so that all sizes of letters, from 4" to 30" could be used on the same frames. The first to purchase these Master-Multiple type frames was the Apollo, New York. Shown is an interesting sequence of pictures of this house. At first, when the theatre dropped burlesque and switched to motion pictures, the openings were 60" high. They were subsequently enlarged, and are now altered to 90" as shown. The second theatre to install Master-Multiple frames was the Roxy Theatre, New York.
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