the americanization of edward bok-第48章

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　and　a　second　photograph　of　the　same　spot　showing　the　advertisement　removed；　with　an　accompanying　affidavit　of　the　owner　of　the　property；　legally　attested；　asserting　that　the　advertisement　had　been　permanently　removed。　Hundreds　of　photographs　poured　in；　scores　of　prizes　were　awarded；　the　results　were　published；　and　requests　came　in　for　a　second　series　of　prizes；　which　were　duly　awarded。

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advertising；　it　was；　to　say　the　least；　not　a　sound　basis　for　advertising。　No　advertising　account　was　ever　actually　withdrawn。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　loosewith　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。　The　proximity　of　the　proposed　new　structure　to　historic　Independence　Hall　and　the　adjacent　buildings　would　make　it　a　focal　point　for　visitors　from　all　parts　of　the　country　and　the　world。　The　opportunity　presented　itself　to　put　good　art；　within　the　comprehension　of　a　large　public；　into　the　new　building；　and　Bok　asked　permission　of　Mr。　Curtis　to　introduce　a　strong　note　of　mural　decoration。　The　idea　commended　itself　to　Mr。　Curtis　as　adding　an　attraction　to　the　building　and　a　contribution　to　public　art。

The　great　public　dining…room；　seating　over　seven　hundred　persons；　on　the　top　floor　of　the　building；　affording　unusual　lighting　facilities；　was　first　selected；　and　Maxfield　Parrish　was　engaged　to　paint　a　series　of　seventeen　panels　to　fill　the　large　spaces　between　the　windows　and　an　unusually　large　wall　space　at　the　end　of　the　room。　Parrish　contracted　to　give　up　all　other　work　and　devote　himself　to　the　commission　which　attracted　him　greatly。

For　over　a　year　he　made　sketches；　and　finally　the　theme　was　decided　upon：　a　bevy　of　youths　and　maidens　in　gala　costume；　on　their　way　through　gardens　and　along　terraces　to　a　great　fete；　with　pierrots　and　dancers　and　musicians　on　the　main　wall　space。　It　was　to　be　a　picture　of　happy　youth　and　sunny　gladness。　Five　years　after　the　conception　of　the　idea　the　final　panel　was　finished　and　installed　in　the　dining…room；　where　the　series　has　since　been　admired　by　the　thirty　to　fifty　thousand　visitors　who　come　to　the　Curtis　Building　each　year　from　foreign　lands　and　from　every　State　in　America。　No　other　scheme　of　mural　decoration　was　ever　planned　on　so　large　a　scale　for　a　commercial　building；　or　so　successfully　carried　out。

The　great　wall　space　of　over　one　thousand　square　feet；　unobstructed　by　a　single　column；　in　the　main　foyer　of　the　building　was　decided　upon　as　the　place　for　the　pivotal　note　to　be　struck　by　some　mural　artist。　After　looking　carefully　over　the　field；　Bok　finally　decided　upon　Edwin　A。　Abbey。　He　took　a　steamer　and　visited　Abbey　in　his　English　ho