Month: August 2024

THOU SHALT NOT SHOP ELSEWHERE (Summer of 1925)

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

More about Santa Rosa in the summer of 1925. See INTRO for overview and index.

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  You can sum up the display ads in the July 1925 Press Democrat as good, bad, and… WTF. Should you have any interest whatsoever in the evolution of commercial art this midpoint of the 1920s is like a history book. There were ads that could have been throwbacks to an earlier decade alongside stylish modernist layouts. Advertisers framed illustrations to look more like a camera shot you might see in a movie instead of showing an image of the product.

commandmentsThe month began with an unusual marketing tie-in to a blockbuster showing at the Cline Theatre: Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments.” It was a double-page spread that featured the movie ad surrounded by local businesses floundering efforts to associate themselves with the Biblical theme. Corrick’s ad encouraged customers to “Read The Book,” which presumably was a novelization of the movie and not the Bible. Another ad was headlined, “THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT – SAVE MONEY AT THE ARMY AND NAVY STORE”.

The winner (loser?) for most tasteless ad was the D Street Garage, which urged Santa Rosa to “Go and see the Ten Commandants” [sic] and continued thus: “One of the big scenes that you will be interested in is where Pharaoh and his hosts pursue Moses and the Children of Israel. You will also rejoice that Moses escapes. But suppose Pharaoh and his legions had used Velie Motor Cars instead of Chariots, they would have caught Moses in half an hour, if it had been God’s will. Let our salesmen demonstrate to you the Velie – the most wonderful modern Chariot.”

Leeching off the film’s publicity was hardly unique to the pages of the PD; pretty much everybody was trying to get in on Moses Movie Mania. The State Board of Health commandments came up with ten commandments that included “play some adult athletic game three times each week” and “sleep with windows open eight hours daily.” The American Railway Association had a commandments list for safely driving across railroad tracks with number five being, “Thou shalt not kill the passengers within thy care.” Personally, I think that one should have ranked higher.

Later in the month there was a different sort of ad campaign that began by only announcing that something was coming (see the first ad below). Was a circus coming to town? A high profile vaudeville act? Another big movie? The graphics were eye-catching and the premise was clever.

It was finally revealed to be about a sale at The White House department store and the actual ad was too clever by half. In a strained metaphor, the “price crasher’s bargain circus” promised “A Marvelous, Momentous, Mammoth, Master-Stroke in Merchandising – a Circus for the entire Community presenting a mastodon movement of amazing, immeasureable money-saving.” Believe it or not, the thing gets even worse from there. You can read a transcript below, but I’d urge a stiff drink or other brain-numbing substance first.

NEXT: LATEST NEWS ON THE MONKEY TRIAL

TEN COMMANDMENTS ISSUED BY RAILROAD – These ten commandments for undecided motorists at railroad crossings are set forth in a safety booklet distributed by the Southern railway in connection with the national “cross crossings cautiously” campaign.

1. Thou shall learn to recognize railroad crossings and approach them with extreme care.
2. Thou shalt look both ways and listen for trains.
3. Thou shall be doubly alert if there are two or more tracks.
4. Thou shalt always use good judgment at railroad crossings, that they [sic] days may be long upon the land and the enjoyment of they car continuous.
5. Thou shalt not kill the passengers within thy care.
6. Thou shalt keep thy brakes girdede [sic] with effective brake lining.
7. Thou shalt not depend upon the driver of the car ahead of you.
9. Thou shalt not try to “beat the train.”
10. Thou shalt cross crossings cautiously. (July 3)

whitehousead19250722PRICE CRASHER’S BARGAIN CIRCUS – Here’s Your “Greatest Show On Earth” For Real, Rousing, Record-Breaking BARGAINS!

A Marvelous, Momentous, Mammoth, Master-Stroke in Merchandising – a Circus for the entire Community presenting a mastodon movement of amazing, immeasureable money-saving.

Here you’ll behold a great panorama of price-crashing – a pageant of price-slashing and precedent smashing…See the thrilling acts of the Price family. Old Full Price will take a death-defying dive from his lofty pinnacle down to a level of net cost.

Former Price and Previous Price do contortions and distortions that make their natural figures unrecognizable.

Miss Fair Profit will do a parachute drop-down, down, down into a sea of savings, splashing bubbles of bargains into the hands of all you who gather around the ringside.

COME ONE! COME ALL! COME EARLY! COME FROM FAR AND WIDE! (July 25)

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LATEST NEWS ON THE MONKEY TRIAL (Summer of 1925)

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

More about Santa Rosa in the summer of 1925. See INTRO for overview and index.

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  Judging by the amount of ink spread by the Press Democrat, the most pressing story in July 1925 didn’t involve Sonoma County or a great crisis – it was the doings in a small Tennessee town. In this the PD was not unusual; papers large and small printed an enormous number of articles that month about the Scopes “Monkey Trial” and events leading up to it.

The court case was exploited as a kind of religion vs. science Battle Royale, but it was really a simple question over whether fundamentalist christians could dictate what was taught in public schools (an issue still unresolved today, I hasten to add). The trial dramatically pitted defense lawyer Clarence Darrow against politician William Jennings Bryan, a confrontation best known via movie versions of the play “Inherit the Wind.”

In July alone the PD printed over fifty articles about it. Add in coverage from late June – early August and there were about a hundred related articles, editorials and photos, many on the front page above the fold. One piece reported Dr. S. S. Bogle was visiting his mother in Knoxville and took a side trip to drop into court, which happened to be the day when the judge ruled scientific testimony was inadmissible.

There was apparently much local interest in those events. The library told the PD there was great demand to learn more about Darwin’s theory. “…Books on the subject of the origin and development of species lay dust-covend on the shelves of the library, but now never a day goes by without request for volumes on the theme of evolution.” The Piggly Wiggly grocery store advertised “Monkey Food” (?!) for 12½¢ each, with the teaser, “Are You Interested in Evolution?” When it was over the PD printed the editorial cartoon shown below, suggesting everyone was sick of hearing so much about the doings.

For anyone who only knows about the Scopes trial from the movie, I strongly encourage reading the Pulitzer-winning history “Summer for the Gods.” What really happened was far more interesting and bizarre than portrayed on the screen. As a sample: the famous confrontation between Darrow and Bryan happened not in the courtroom but on the courthouse lawn – so many spectators had forced their way in there were concerns the floor might collapse. As thousands watched Bryan and Darrow fight outdoors, boys wandered through the crowd selling bottles of soda pop.

NEXT: RIPLEY AND BURBANK

scopes19250725

BAN URGED ON EVOLUTION IN CALIFORNIA – (AP) Organizations for the purpose of presenting anti-evolution laws similar to the Tennessee statutes for consideration by state legislatures have been formed in Minnesota, California and Oregon, Dr. W. B. Riley of Minneapolis announced here today…The California organization, with headquarters in Los Angeles, is called The Defenders of True Science Versus Speculation. The movement is sweeping from coast to coast.” These societies will seek passage of laws prohibiting the teaching of evolution on the grounds that it is a theory not yet approved by science. Dr. Riley indicated. “The societies are sponsored by fundamentalists of all religions,” he said. (July 2)

ALL-SUMMER CHAUTAUQUA FEAR IN EVOLUTION CASE; SCOPES FACING DILEMMA – Is this Scopes trial to be a real issue at law, or simply a summer Chautauqua? A few earnest young lawyers on both sides are trying to make it a simple criminal proceeding. Opposed to them are the great publicists who have been drawn into the affair from various and sundry motives, and who are anxious that all legal barriers, safeguards and restrictions be swept away, so they can fight it out along their respective lines even if it takes all summer. Mr. William Jennings Bryan, speaking for his particular part of the prosecution, says; “Come one, come all; let’s debate every passage of the Bible from Genesis to Exodus. I don’t want to go back to Florida until away next fall”… (July 10)

EVOLUTION PROSECUTOR TO ‘HANDLE DARROW,’ NATIVES SAY OF OWN HOME TALENT
DAYTON FOLKS UNIMPRESSED BY FAMOUS MEN IN CASE, PUT FAITH IN MOUNTAIN LAWYER
“BATTLE TO DEATH,” DECLARES BRYAN (July 11)

STATE FEARS TESTIMONY OF SCIENTISTS IN TRIAL OF TENNESSEE PROFESSOR (July 14)

LOCAL READERS DEMAND BOOKS ON EVOLUTION – The Scope trial in Dayton, Tennessee, may have been a complete failure as far as proving whether or not man has tree-climbing relatives, but in one respect at least it has proved a benefit, with its advantages reflected even as far away as Santa Rosa. This is in the interest aroused in the subject of evolution, as shown by the recent demand at the Santa Rosa public library. Before the Tennessee “monkey trial” books on the subject of the origin and development of species lay dust-covend on the shelves of the library, but now never a day goes by without request for volumes on the theme of evolution, according to Miss Adelle Barnett, librarian. Besides the increased call for these books to be taken home for reading, many people come daily to use them for reference purposes… (July 21)

CLASH OVER TEACHING OF EVOLUTION IN SCHOOLS OF STATE IS DUE NEXT WEEK
BRYAN QUIZZES DARROW ON IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL
CIRCUS SPECTACLE GIVEN DAYTON WITHOUT CHARGE AS BRYAN-DARROW CLASH
PEOPLE PERCHED IN TREES CHEER AND JEER BIG FIGURES AS HOT WORDS FLY;
BIBLE, RIGHT OR WRONG, IS POSITION OF COMMONER (July 22)

BRYAN ADMITS SCIENCES ARE ‘GREEK TO HIM’ (July 23)

ANTI-EVOLUTION FIGHTS LOOM THROUGHOUT NATION FOLLOWING SCOPES TRIAL (July 25)

ENTIRE NATION MOURNS DEATH OF BRYAN (July 28)

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RIPLEY AND BURBANK (Summer of 1925)

Jeff Elliott Leave a comment

More about Santa Rosa in the summer of 1925. See INTRO for overview and index.

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  1925ripleyDuring the early 1920s Robert Ripley was making a name for himself at the New York Globe as a sports writer and cartoonist, but despite his success at one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world the Press Democrat oddly ignored this hometown boy who became a minor celebrity.

All that changed in July 1925 when the PD boasted Ripley would now “write for Press Democrat,” meaning that the paper was going to run his syndicated travel column, “Ripley’s Ramble.” The 75 article series can be viewed as a clear prototype of his Believe it or Not! comic strip which would feature facts meant to astonish, often drawn from his travels (or really, the travels of his researchers). In the teaser for the series the PD featured his friendship with a man from Santa Rosa, Peru, who supposedly gave Ripley an authentic shrunken head.

There were no clues that was to be Luther Burbank’s last summer. In July 1925 his health seemed fine (for a 77 year-old) and the Press Democrat regularly printed small items about him receiving a steady procession of visitors. People came here from all over the country to shake his hand and get a garden tour – a busload of East Coast teachers enrolled in a program at UC/Berkeley, a batch of ministers, plain folks and all sorts of celebrities. Helen Keller stopped by for lunch.

The PD was already blurbing that three months from then Burbank would be celebrating his 50th year in Santa Rosa, which would be mentioned in dozens of papers nationwide. Ever the publicity maven, he would use that occasion to announce he had six new roses and a new kind of sweet corn available for sale.

But come early 1926, his fortunes would quickly change. Burbank found himself receiving the heaviest criticism of his life after telling a reporter that he didn’t have conventional religious views or believe in life after death: “I am an infidel today…I am a doubter, a questioner, a skeptic…” He defended his beliefs until he suffered a heart attack and died not long after.

NEXT: CRAZY NOTIONS

FORMER SANTA ROSAN, NOW FAMOUS CARTOONIST, WILL WRITE FOR PRESS DEMOCRAT – Robert L. Ripley, world famous cartoonist and a native of this city, is coming back to Santa Rosa.

Not in person, but through a series of articles, a departure from the sporting field in which he made his first reputation as artist and writer. Ripley will in the near future greet the readers of the Press Democrat in and near his home town.

The cartoonist recently returned from a trip through the American continent on the other side of the isthmus, and is perfecting a series of articles on his experiences and observations there. Under the title, “Rambles Through South America,” Ripley’s stories will start soon in the Press Democrat and will be continued until complete, running 75 days in all.

Robert L. Ripley, known here as Le Roy Ripley, was born and educated in Santa Rosa. With a natural ability in art work and an ambition to conquer in his chosen line, he progressed rapidly, and 15 years ago left this city for east. He quickly became noted, not only as an artist, but as a writer of pungent, authoritative items on sporting topics.

His return to Santa Rosa, through the Press Democrat, will be received with interest not only by his old friends, but by other readers as well, who will find his articles sparkling with wit and bulging with pertinent facts.

In the picture above Ripley is seen with another native of Santa Rosa. The one is a Native Son of Santa Rosa. Calif., the other an Inca, Son of the Sun, and a native of Santa Rosa, Peru.

Ripley met the Peruvano during the tour of which he tells in “Rambles Through Soutn America” and the two became such firm friends that the Peruvian Santa Rosan insisted upon presenting the California Santa Rosan with a gift of a “reduced” human head, which had been shrunk to the size of a baseball. Watch for the Ripley “Rambles.” (July 28)

BURBANK TO RECEIVE MANY VISITORS HERE – Luther Burbank is planning to receive a large number of visitors at his gardens in Santa Rosa avenue during July and August. The majority of the visitors will come from the eastern states. Included among those in the delegations will be a number of teachers in California for summer school work. A number of ministers will arrive here this month to visit Mr. Burbank. In addition, there are always prominent tourists who visit at the Burbank home, some of them making appointments to see the plant scientist months in advance. (July 2)

EXCEPTIONAL WIT OF MISS KELLER PLEASES BURBANK – Equal honor befell both Luther Burbank, noted scientist, and Miss Helen Keller, yesterday, when Miss Keller and her secretary, Miss Polly Thompson, were luncheon guests at the Burbank residence in Tupper street. Miss Keller returned to Santa Rosa yesterday, after appearing here publicly several weeks ago, to obtain photographs of herself and her host for the national magazine for the blind… (July 9)

NOTED WRITER SEES BURBANK – Annie Laurie (Mrs. Bonfils), noted San Francisco newspaperwoman, accompanied by a number of friends, including General Terry, United States army, and his wife, called on Luther Burbank at his experimental gardens here yesterday. The writer, who had visited the Burbank home several times in the past, and her friends were shown through the gardens by the plant scientist. A delegation of eastern school teachers, who are attending summer school at the University of California, were also visitors at the Burbank home yesterday, and a number of educators from eastern and southern states will visit at the experimental gardens today. (July 11)

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