one of the mysteries of Paris. Two well-known Parisian journalists, piqued by the eccentricity of the advertisement, lay in wait one whole night and day for the purpose of dis covering its author, but their effort was fruitless. While on the subject of these colonnes, we may note the fact tha their exteriors are covered with advertisements, the most conspicuous among them being the bill of fare of the "Dîner de Rocher," a three-franc ordinary on the Boulevard Montmartre. The interior announcements are not of a nature for publication, and in that respect resemble kindred establishments this side the Channel. Next in importance to the hoardings and "spectacle" columns are the kiosques, in which the newspaper trade of Paris is chiefly carried on. The front is open, with the paper stall before it; but the remaining sides are of coloured glass, and each square contains an advertisement painted or stained upon it, generally in large letters. At night the light in the interior gives the kiosque a very gay and festive appearance. There are various minor methods of attracting public attention practised by the Parisian traders. The managers of the Louvre and Pygmalion, establishments similar to our Shoolbred's and Meeking's, give to each of their customers an air balloon with the name of the establishment from which it is issued painted upon it. Thousands of these are constantly bobbing about along the principal thoroughfares. The tickets given to seat occupiers in the public gardens and parks are beautifully illuminated cards covered with trade announcements. Some of the restaurants give each of their lady-customers a fan in summer, which is prettily ornamented with advertisements. At Duval's famous eating establishments the backs of the bills of fare are sold for a large sum to advertising contractors. It is calculated that this firm issues 30,000 cartes a day. Space will not allow us to enumerate the further thousand-and-one plans-some sensible, some silly-which the Parisians adopt for attracting public attention; we therefore pass on to the last and most important medium for advertisements-the Parisian newspapers. In French journals, as in some English, the réclame, or editorial puff, is eagerly sought after; and for unblushing effrontery in selling their pens to pushing tradesmen, we must yield the palm to our brother scribes across the water. "They order this matter better in France." Only a short time since M. de Villemessant, the editor of Le Figaro, gave a delightful specimen of the art in his own columns. He commenced by relating the history of the Duke of Hamilton and the sheep's wool left on the brambles. Then came a long description of the homes of the Highland shepherds, and their spinning wives. The English word "homespun" being thus introduced, the article wound up by advising les gentlemen français to rush to a certain shop in Paris where homespun was sold, and be measured for suits. A few days after the article had been published, its author was sauntering along the Boulevards clad in a homespun suit of the latest cut and pattern. We present a choice specimen of the réclame cut from the pages of the Parisian gommeux's favourite journal : Le Figaro n'oublie pas que son aïeul était coiffeur, aussi ne dédaignet-il pas de parler des chevaliers du démêloir, surtout lorsque ceux-ci se recommandent à l'attention du public par des qualités hors ligne. Nos lecteurs du quartier de l'Arc-de-Triomphe, y compris les Ternes, l'avenue de l'Impératrice, Neuilly, etc., ne se doutent pas qu'ils possèdent dans leur voisinage, 47, avenue de la Grande-Armée, un expert en fait de coiffures de femmes et d'hommes... Il se nomme Rivals et n'en connait pas (pardon!) pour la dexterité du peigne et la légèreté du rasoir. Here is another of these exquisite specimens of artistry in puffing. It is from La Vie Parisienne of a short time back : - : Les voyageurs pour la ligne d'Italie montent en voiture. - Une minute, sac à papier! je n'ai pas pris mon café. Un qui se croit encore au temps des diligence: le chemin de fer n'attend pas. -N'est-ce que cela, cher? monte dans mon compartiment, et to n'auras pas à regretter la chicorée du buffet. Le sifflet fait entendre son son strident. Nous voici partis! Now avons tiré de son sac de voyage un flacon d'Essence de café Trablit. I me fait un mazagran que je sirote avec autant de délices que si Tortos l'eût préparé. En crème, à l'eau, au lait, en grog, l'Essence de café Trablit est chose exquise. Recommandée aux voyageuses, dans leur intérêt. flacon (67, rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau). I fr. 60 le Besides writing up the goods of energetic and aspiring tradesmen, the French journalist is frequently employed by a third or fourth rate actress to write her into notoriety. To do this he carefully avoids any mention of her histrionic abilities; but whenever he gets an opportunity, he describes her dresses, her equipage, her petits soupers, and occasionally places in her mouth some clever repartee or daring joke. Once in vogue, a lady of this kind has obtained the object of her ambition, and many a queen of the demi-monde owes her success in the realms of guilty splendour to the constant puffing of some hireling scribe. Hireling though he be, the scribe is also an artist, and his work bears an immeasurably favourable comparison with that of his clumsy English rival; for he has rivals in England, and réclames are finding their way rapidly into the most pretentious of our papers. Hitherto they have succeeded in deceiving none so much as their writers and those who pay for them; but there is yet hope. Occasionally the French réclame mania is worked up into a good joke, as in the following: Une maison de blanc portant pour enseigne: Au bon petit Jesus, avait pour caissier un affreux gredin qui disparaît un jour avec la grenouille tout entière. Tous les journaux sont pleins du vol commis au Bon petit Jésus. Le patron court affolé et met la main sur son employé au moment où celui-ci prenait tardivement le chemin de fer. Il lui saute au collet : Misérable! tu m'as ruiné ! L'autre répond, sans s'émouvoir : Oui, monsieur... mais quelle réclame pour la maison ! Sometimes the advertisement is given in an indirect manner thus the public read the following in the day's Sur le rideau d'annonces des Bouffes on peut lire ce qui suit : Mesdames, souvenez-vous que les vieilles robes et les ameublements fanés teints par la maison X... sont plus beaux que neufs ! Comme c'est bien en situation ! The next time the reader goes to the theatre the advertisement alluded to catches his eye, and the address is fixed in his memory. The réclame is at present an important feature of French journalism. It generally pays all parties concerned in its manufacture, and its existence is therefore likely to continue for long. The reader has only to pick up Le Gaulois, Le Figaro, or any of the Parisian lighter papers, and he will be enabled to see for himself to what an extent commerce has infected the Gallic press. Turning from the réclames to the advertisements proper, we find there are five distinct specimens of the latter, so far as style is concerned. Each one of these has its modifications, but the following samples will be found very near the mark. The first will serve a double purpose, as it seems to point out that despite the ridicule cast on English costumes by Parisian satirists, there are not a few who wear them, though they have every opportunity of appearing in the Frenchest of French fashions :— PANTALONS ANGLAIS FAITS SUR MESURE: 19 fr 50 OLD ENGLAND 35, boulevard des Capucines. The second specimen is intended for the ladies, who may believe what they like of the statement made about its salutary action, and its adding to the natural beauty:— La Veloutine est une poudre de Riz spéciale d'une action salutaire sur la peau. aussi donne-t-elle au teint une fraîcheur et une beauté naturelles. Our third refers to something which has been fashionable as long as there has been such a thing as fashion, and which is likely to continue till la mode itself has an end : MARIAGES DEMANDEZ LE TRAIT D'UNION RÉPERTOIRE COMPLET ET DISCRET DES DE TOUS PAYS, ADRESSÉES A DOTS DEPUIS 10,000 FR. Jusqu'aux plus grandes fortunes. (Timbres pour réponse.) |