This album advertises the services of an “Artist & Photographer” based out of 157th St & 3rd Ave in New York City who created sidewalk ads for businesses. Beginning with...
This album advertises the services of an “Artist & Photographer” based out of 157th St & 3rd Ave in New York City who created sidewalk ads for businesses. Beginning with eye glasses proclaiming “eyes examined” and “glasses fitted,” we see well-dressed men and women perhaps advertising a tailor's services, chefs in constellation with poultry and crabs, bicycles, shoes, dentures, living rooms, bathrooms, the RCA logo, a young girl saying “Mother don’t worry, the Arcade will take the spot out” and much more.
A vintage ad from the period declares the Sidewalk Ad Service will flash "12 ads every six minutes" displaying "your complete sales message told in bright colorful light- where every passerby must see it." These luring promotions were produced by mounting 12 negatives (from photos of the designs, hand-drawn in negative) within an enlarger-like device. Shining directly onto the sidewalk, the contraption would cycle through the sales-message rendering an almost camera obscura-like projection in front of the business it was advertising.