the americanization of edward bok-第46章

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Bok　then　turned　to　the　subject　of　the　garden　for　the　small　house；　and　the　development　of　the　grounds　around　the　homes　which　he　had　been　instrumental　in　putting　on　the　earth。　He　encountered　no　opposition　here。　The　publication　of　small　gardens　for　small　houses　finally　ran　into　hundreds　of　pages；　the　magazine　supplying　planting　plans　and　full　directions　as　to　when　and　how　to　plant…this　time　without　cost。

Next　the　editor　decided　to　see　what　he　could　do　for　the　better　and　simpler　furnishing　of　the　small　American　home。　Here　was　a　field　almost　limitless　in　possible　improvement；　but　he　wanted　to　approach　it　in　a　new　way。　The　best　method　baffled　him　until　one　day　he　met　a　woman　friend　who　told　him　that　she　was　on　her　way　to　a　funeral　at　a　friend's　home。

〃I　didn't　know　you　were　so　well　acquainted　with　Mrs。　S；〃　said　Bok。

〃I　wasn't；　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃I'll　be　perfectly　frank；　I　am　going　to　the　funeral　just　to　see　how　Mrs。　S's　house　is　furnished。　She　was　always　thought　to　have　great　taste；　you　know；　and；　whether　you　know　it　or　not；　a　woman　is　always　keen　to　look　into　another　woman's　home。〃

Bok　realized　that　he　had　found　the　method　of　presentation　for　his　interior…furnishing　plan　if　he　could　secure　photographs　of　the　most　carefully　furnished　homes　in　America。　He　immediately　employed　the　best　available　expert；　and　within　six　months　there　came　to　him　an　assorted　collection　of　over　a　thousand　photographs　of　well…furnished　rooms。　The　best　were　selected；　and　a　series　of　photographic　pages　called　〃Inside　of　100　Homes〃　was　begun。　The　editor's　woman　friend　had　correctly　pointed　the　way　to　him；　for　this　series　won　for　his　magazine　the　enviable　distinction　of　being　the　first　magazine　of　standing　to　reach　the　then　marvellous　record　of　a　circulation　of　one　million　copies　a　month。　The　editions　containing　the　series　were　sold　out　as　fast　as　they　could　be　printed。

The　editor　followed　this　up　with　another　successful　series；　again　pictorial。　He　realized　that　to　explain　good　taste　in　furnishing　by　text　was　almost　impossible。　So　he　started　a　series　of　all…picture　pages　called　〃Good　Taste　and　Bad　Taste。〃　He　presented　a　chair　that　was　bad　in　lines　and　either　useless　or　uncomfortable　to　sit　in；　and　explained　where　and　why　it　was　bad；　and　then　put　a　good　chair　next　to　it；　and　explained　where　and　why　it　was　good。

The　lesson　to　the　eye　was　simply　and　directly　effective；　the　pictures　told　their　story　as　no　printed　word　could　have　done；　and　furniture　manufacturers　and　dealers　all　over　the　country；　feeling　the　pressure　from　their　customers；　began　to　put　on　the　market　the　tables；　chairs；　divans；　bedsteads；　and　dressing…tables　which　the　magazine　was　portraying　as　examples　of　good　taste。　It　was　amazing　that；　within　five　years；　the　physical　appearance　of　domestic　furniture　in　the　stores　completely　changed。

The　next　undertaking　was　a　systematic　plan　for　improving　the　pictures　on　the　walls　of　the　American　home。　Bok　was　employing　the　best　artists　of　the　day：　Edwin　A。　Abbey；　Howard　Pyle；　Charles　Dana　Gibson；　W。　L。　Taylor；　Albert　Lynch；　Will　H。　Low；　W。　T。　Smedley；　Irving　R。　Wiles；　and　others。　As　his　magazine　was　rolled　to　go　through　the　mails；　the　pictures　naturally　suffered；　Bok　therefore　decided　to　print　a　special　edition　of　each　important　picture　that　he　published；　an　edition　on　plate…paper；　without　text；　and　offered　to　his　readers　at　ten　cents　a　copy。　Within　a　year　he　had　sold　nearly　one　hundred　thousand　copies；　such　pictures　as　W。　L。　Taylor's　〃The　Hanging　of　the　Crane〃　and　〃Home…Keeping　Hearts〃　being　particularly　popular。

Pictures　were　difficult　to　advertise　successfully；　it　was　before　the　full…color　press　had　become　practicable　for　rapid　magazine　work；　and　even　the　large…page　black…and…white　reproductions　which　Bok　could　give　in　his　magazine　did　not；　of　course；　show　the　beauty　of　the　original　paintings；　the　majority　of　which　were　in　full　color。　He　accordingly　made　arrangements　with　art　publishers　to　print　his　pictures　in　their　original　colors；　then　he　determined　to　give　the　public　an　opportunity　to　see　what　the　pictures　themselves　looked　like。

He　asked　his　art　editor　to　select　the　two　hundred　and　fifty　best　pictures　and　frame　them。　Then　he　engaged　the　art　gallery　of　the　Philadelphia　Art　Club；　and　advertised　an　exhibition　of　the　original　paintings。　No　admission　was　charged。　The　gallery　was　put　into　gala　attire；　and　the　pictures　were　well　hung。　The　exhibition；　which　was　continued　for　two　weeks；　was　visited　by　over　fifteen　thousand　persons。

His　success　here　induced　Bok　to　take　the　collection　to　New　York。　The　galleries　of　the　American　Art　Association　were　offered　him；　but　he　decided　to　rent　the　ballroom　of　the　Hotel　Waldorf。　The　hotel　was　then　new；　it　was　the　talk　not　only　of　the　town　but　of　the　country；　while　the　ballroom　had　been　pictured　far　and　wide。　It　would　have　a　publicity　value。　He　could　secure　the　room　for　only　four　days；　but　he　determined　to　make　the　most　of　the　short　time。　The　exhibition　was　well　advertised；　a　〃private　view〃　was　given　the　evening　before　the　opening　day；　and　when；　at　nine　o'clock　the　following　morning；　the　doors　of　the　exhibition　were　thrown　open；　over　a　thousand　persons　were　waiting　in　line。

The　hotel　authorities　had　to　resort　to　a　special　cordon　of　police　to　handle　the　crowds；　and　within　four　days　over　seventeen　thousand　persons　had　seen　the　pictures。　On　the　last　evening　it　was　after　midnight　before　the　doors　could　be　closed　to　the　waiting…line。　Boston　was　next　visited；　and　there；　at　the　Art　Club　Gallery；　the　previous　successes　were　repeated。　Within　two　weeks　over　twenty…eight　thousand　persons　visited　the　exhibition。

Other　cities　now　clamored　for　a　sight　of　the　pictures；　and　it　was　finally　decided　to　end　the　exhibitions　by　a　visit　to　Chicago。　The　success　here　exceeded　that　in　any　of　the　other　cities。　The　banquet…hall　of　the　Auditorium　Hotel　had　been　engaged；　over　two　thousand　persons　were　continually　in　a　waiting…line　outside；　and　within　a　week　nearly　thirty　thousand　persons　pushed　and　jostled　themselves　into　the　gallery。　Over　eight　thousand　persons　in　all　had　viewed　the　pictures　in　the　four　cities。

The　exhibition　was　immediately　followed　by　the　publication　of　a　portfolio　of　the　ten　pictures　that　had　proved　the　greatest　favorites。　These　were　printed　on　plate…paper　and　the　portfolio　was　offered　by　Bok　to　his　readers　for　one　dollar。　The　first　thousand　sets　were　exhausted　within　a　fortnight。　A　second　thousand　were　printed；　and　these　were　quickly　sold　out。

Bok's　next　enterprise　was　to　get　his　pictures　into　the　homes　of　the　country　on　a　larger　scale；　he　determined　to　work　through　the　churches。　He　selected　the　fifty　best　pictures；　made　them　into　a　set　and　offered　first　a　hundred　sets　to　selected　schools；　which　were　at　once　taken。　Then　he　offered　two　hundred　and　fifty　sets　to　churches　to　sell　at　their　fairs。　The　managers　were　to　promise　to　erect　a　Ladies'　Home　Journal　booth　（which　Bok　knew；　of　course；　would　be　most　effective　advertising）；　and　the　pictures　were　to　sell　at　twenty…five　and　fifty　cents　each；　with　some　at　a　dollar　each。　The　set　was　offered　to　the　churches　for　five　dollars：　the　actual　cost　of　reproduction　and　expressage。　On　the　day　after　the　publication　of　the　magazine　containing　the　offer；　enough　telegraphic　orders　were　received　to　absorb　the　entire　edition。　A　second　edition　was　immediately　printed；　and　finally　ten　editions；　four　thousand　sets　in　all；　were　absorbed　before　the　demand　was　filled。　By　this　method；　two　hundred　thousand　pictures　had　been　introduced　into　American　homes；　and　over　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　in　money　had　been　raised　by　the　churches　as　their　portion。

But　all　this　was　simply　to　lead　up　to　the　realization　of　Bok's　cherished　dream：　the　reproduction；　in　enormous　numbers；　of　the　greatest　pictures　in　the　world　in　their　original　colors。　The　plan；　however；　was　not　for　the　moment　feasible：　the　cost　of　the　four…color　process　was　at　that　time　prohibitive；　and　Bok　had　to　abandon　it。　But　he　never　lost　sight　of　it。　He　knew　the　hour　would　come　when　he　could　carry　it　out；　and　he　bided　his　time。

It　was　not　until　years　later　that　his　opportunity　came；　when　he　immediately　made　up　his　mind　to　seize　it。　The　magazine　had　installed　a　battery　of　four…color　presses；　t