Widow displays and Photography

1850s



Journal Article
PLATE GLASS IN AMERICA: A BRIEF HISTORY 
Kenneth M. Wilson
Journal of Glass Studies

Vol. 43 (2001), pp. 141-153

Published by: Corning Museum of Glass

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/24190904

Page Count: 13 

With the availability of the plate glass, the architecture of public buildings such as stores has changed. With the use of plate glass, the widow displays were created. 

R. H. Macy and Company now know as Macy’s from New York were the first ones to invite children to their stores for special meetings with Santa. They have been also known for their holiday's widow displays. 

1915 R. H. Macy and Company widow display



1914 

Lord and Taylor opened their store and were the first ones to reveal mechanization it its displays.It used to be pulled down for the employee to change the display and pulled back up for the costumers to see. It meet with a great adoration. People would gather in front of the widow and waited to see what the store have had designed. 

 https://www.ndnj.org/page/news-detail?pk=824192

Window display is almost like an exhibition. It contains of items that can be bought at the store and other props which create a certain theme. 
Stores tried they very hardest to catch the eye of people passing by. It soon become an atraction and term "window shopping" was put into use.  


I have suggested that to my client on our meeting when I delivered the photographs to her, however she did not say that she is going to do that. 

When walking across the streets, the widow displays are the things that we notice the most. Colors, or blacks, products, decorations and images draw our attention like a huge mood board of what the shop has to offer. It help people with finding what they need and ignore something that they are not the target audience of. 

I wanted to use the photographs that I have taken as a prop for widow display, because it would be something that people will notice. Seeing a proper fashion photographs would make those connotations to larger brands, which could interest people enough to make them go inside and have a look at the Big C's products. 
 






I have also looked at:
http://fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-clothing-industry/boutique
http://www.wienmuseum.at/en/exhibitions/detail/window-shoppinga-photographic-history-of-the-shop-window.html
https://www.shopify.co.uk/guides/ultimate-guide-to-pop-up-shops/visual-merchandising-101 
https://retailacumen.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/why-is-visual-merchandising-important/ 

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