The evolution of the window display,
I would venture to say that we have all been guilty of this, and some of us are repeat offenders.
The array of treasures that are meticulously and purposely placed beckon for just a moment of our time. Just a look, a quick glance really and then you will be on your merry way.
You approach casually, your body already half-turning away for the hasty retreat when it happens. Oh yes, you know exactly what I mean. You are stopped dead in your tracks by a little something (or many somethings) that you suddenly realize you cannot live without and in fact are shocked you have survived this long without having them in the first place.
Before you know it, your nose is pressed against the cool smooth surface of the only thing between you and the object of your desire. You, my friend, have just encountered one of the greatest marketing ideas to ever be invented — the window display.
While storefront windows had been in use for a good long time, it was not until the second half of the 19th century before plate glass was readily available and distributed widely. Located along the busy sidewalks and footpaths of the growing cities and populations brought on by the great Industrial Revolution, merchants were quick to see the value of these open canvasses and began to utilize the large windows in more and more creative ways.
While stacking bags of coffee beans in the store window was an effective way of informing consumers that, yes, coffee was indeed available for purchase at your place of business, adding a few other touches would send quite another message. By artfully placing those coffee beans next to the latest and greatest version of coffee grinder on the market (that the merchant also carried, of course) you already had Mrs. O'hara wondering how much better that coffee might be fresh out of this new device. As she pondered that possibility her eyes were drawn to the beautiful Cabbage Rose china coffee set on the other side of the beans, and with that was now quite convinced they were all an absolute necessity.
Well played, merchants. Well played.
Extravagant window displays were not only a great marketing tool for the merchants to make sales, but a source of wonder and awe for those who could not afford anything but the essentials. It was also a place of dreams and aspirations for better times hopefully in the future, and sadly, for many children the extravagant toys on the other side of the glass would be as close as they would get to a gift under the tree.
In December 1874, Macy's Department Store in New York City would take the art of the display window to a level not seen before and people flocked to lose themselves in the magic of it all, and the tradition of the holiday window was locked firmly in place.
Today, we can still walk down the charming streets of our community and enjoy the beautiful windows of our shops and businesses. Friendly competition and a real need this unsettled year for the simple pleasures we have always taken for granted has resulted in some truly lovely windows. So please, take the time to enjoy and support the hard work our local merchants have put into not only these wonderful scenes, but the services they have provided us through the years.
We could all use a little magic right now, and it is just a stroll away.