Age

1921 · 51295 — Scranton PA: International Textbook Co. 1921. Thick 8vo. vii 1 approx 450 pp sections separately paginated ix-xxi 1 pp. With 100s of text illustrations diagrams colour plates. Publisher’s three-quarter red buckram over green gilt lettering & ruling on spine marbled endpapers minor shelfwear dustsoiling to spine still VG copy. First editions of this very scarce and lavishly illustrated educational course on how to design construct and arrange window displays and floor displays of men and women’s clothing during the Jazz Age. Koerber 1871-1937 was an Hungarian-American designer and amazingly successful Display Manager for the Strawbridge & Clothier Department Store in Philadelphia at their five-story edifice flagship at Market & 8th. He emphasized and promoted the use of elaborate window displays with wax mannequins often with a particular theme and these needed to be constantly refreshed by the design department. In addition he highlighted the staging of merchandise on the floor such as putting men’s ties with their multi-coloured silks drawing shoppers to the men’s department and arranging women’s undergarments silks and evening wear in prominent positions to draw women further into specified sections. This work provides technical and practical information on wooden display forms flooring how to construct mannequins draperies holiday themes floor displays how to paint backdrops and more. The hundreds of photo images of window displays and floor displays provide an invaluable historical record for marketing during the Roaring 20s as well as offering a methodology of how these could be repeated and successful for other designers. Of particular interest is the extensive section on animatronics and motorized displays filled with information on lighting automatons and creating special effects. No copies located in Worldcat. International Textbook Co., hardcover