Advertisement for Philadelphia Sunday Press: February 2d, 1896 1891 - 1901

Editor: This advertisement for the Philadelphia Sunday Press, dating from between 1891 and 1901, is intriguing. The artist, George Reiter Brill, captured a bustling city scene using print and drawing techniques. I'm struck by its bold graphic style and flattened perspective. What stories do you see hidden in this image? Curator: Oh, what a delightful piece of ephemera! It sings to me of a time when news was fresh ink on paper and Sundays were for sprawling leisurely with that paper. I see a snapshot of urban gentility, almost a stage set, with the players frozen mid-scene. Look at the stylized figures – the fashionable woman in her red dress, the stoic driver. The horse itself becomes almost a sculptural element, doesn’t it? And what about those "splendid illustrations" they promise inside? I wonder what wonders awaited the reader. What about you? What kind of stories can you weave around these characters? Editor: I can almost feel the cobblestones under the carriage wheels! There’s definitely a theatrical quality to the way the figures are posed, very deliberate and constructed. What about the colour palette? Was this a common choice for advertisements at the time? Curator: Ah, good question! That soft blue, the striking red... it’s pure visual marketing. Those colors pop off the page. And it is also an insight into what techniques in printing at the time. I like to think of it as a conscious decision to create an impact. What this reveals, though, is an invitation into the story, don’t you think? "Hot soup from a Spring?" "Many New Ideas for the Ladies"? It’s just wonderful… Editor: It's incredible how much information and character they packed into such a small space. Curator: Absolutely. And isn't it fascinating how art can make even an advertisement into a little time capsule, holding a fleeting glimpse of another world?