THE
AMERICAN ARCHITECT
FOUNDED 1876
THE-NEW renaissance in architecture As Seen in the Design of Buildings for Mail Order Houses
By George C. Nimmons, F. A. I. A.
What people buy with their money has always been an important influence in their lives. Formerly the necessities of life were the principal things people bought, but now they buy more things for their recreation, amusement and entertainment than they ever did before, because labor-saving machinery and industrial developments have greatly increased the leisure time of everyone. There are authorities who believe that the manner in which people spend their leisure time is one of the biggest problems of our social life. They hold that the character of the people from now on is going to be moulded to an important extent by the way they spend their leisure time. Leisure time raises the question of, “What to do with it? ” and here is where the merchant comes in with his suggestions through advertisements, and influences the people to a large extent in how this leisure time is to be spent. The merchant of the country, his policy of doing business, and the things he sells to the people, are consequently of more importance in the development of the character of the people than they ever were before.
The mail order houses of this country have developed to such an extent that they sell more merchandise and of a greater variety than any other merchants. They build the largest buildings in the world; some of their buildings contain 1, 500, 000 sq. ft. of floor space, and more. A large majority of the people of this country are their customers. Sears, Roebuck and Co. have 11, 000, 000 customers, largely heads of families, and when multiplied by four to represent the average family, means that about 44, 000, 000 people patronize them.
The mail order houses supply every kind of clothing worn by men, women and children; they furnish and equip houses complete from basement to attic; and they sell food, drugs, confectionery and all kinds of supplies to maintain the home. For the farmer, tradesman, gardener and workman in
the various occupations, they have tools, implements, supplies and equipment of almost every kind. In addition to supplying the essential things for the home and the various useful occupations, they furnish all sorts of things required for the amusement, entertainment, education and recreation of the people, such as toys, games, musical instruments, phonographs, radio sets, books and sporting goods, bicycles and automobile accessories.
While a customer will buy only what he wants or what is in accordance with his ideals and standards of taste, the merchant, nevertheless, influences his customers’ standards materially by the character of the things he offers for sale. He has to be careful not to stock up with things the customer will not buy, but the merchant may and often does influence the buyer’s standard of taste in favor of better design and better craftsmanship than he would ordinarily select. As the mail order houses sell their goods through the agency of illustrated catalogs placed in the hands of the customers, these catalogs, extending back over years, become an index of the changes in the demands and taste of the people.
The things which the people now buy as representing the essentials of life are, in a general way, conducive to wholesome, healthy and clean living, and the things which they procure for their amusement, recreation and education are largely of a character to develop in a commendable way the mental and spiritual side of their natures. Comparison with catalogs of the earlier years shows a decided increase in the variety of things purchased and a marked development in quality and design. Particularly is this true in respect to furniture, wall paper, house furnishings and decorations, as well as in many other articles. The improvement is most striking in the standard of taste displayed in the selection of books, ornaments, musical instruments
AMERICAN ARCHITECT
FOUNDED 1876
THE-NEW renaissance in architecture As Seen in the Design of Buildings for Mail Order Houses
By George C. Nimmons, F. A. I. A.
What people buy with their money has always been an important influence in their lives. Formerly the necessities of life were the principal things people bought, but now they buy more things for their recreation, amusement and entertainment than they ever did before, because labor-saving machinery and industrial developments have greatly increased the leisure time of everyone. There are authorities who believe that the manner in which people spend their leisure time is one of the biggest problems of our social life. They hold that the character of the people from now on is going to be moulded to an important extent by the way they spend their leisure time. Leisure time raises the question of, “What to do with it? ” and here is where the merchant comes in with his suggestions through advertisements, and influences the people to a large extent in how this leisure time is to be spent. The merchant of the country, his policy of doing business, and the things he sells to the people, are consequently of more importance in the development of the character of the people than they ever were before.
The mail order houses of this country have developed to such an extent that they sell more merchandise and of a greater variety than any other merchants. They build the largest buildings in the world; some of their buildings contain 1, 500, 000 sq. ft. of floor space, and more. A large majority of the people of this country are their customers. Sears, Roebuck and Co. have 11, 000, 000 customers, largely heads of families, and when multiplied by four to represent the average family, means that about 44, 000, 000 people patronize them.
The mail order houses supply every kind of clothing worn by men, women and children; they furnish and equip houses complete from basement to attic; and they sell food, drugs, confectionery and all kinds of supplies to maintain the home. For the farmer, tradesman, gardener and workman in
the various occupations, they have tools, implements, supplies and equipment of almost every kind. In addition to supplying the essential things for the home and the various useful occupations, they furnish all sorts of things required for the amusement, entertainment, education and recreation of the people, such as toys, games, musical instruments, phonographs, radio sets, books and sporting goods, bicycles and automobile accessories.
While a customer will buy only what he wants or what is in accordance with his ideals and standards of taste, the merchant, nevertheless, influences his customers’ standards materially by the character of the things he offers for sale. He has to be careful not to stock up with things the customer will not buy, but the merchant may and often does influence the buyer’s standard of taste in favor of better design and better craftsmanship than he would ordinarily select. As the mail order houses sell their goods through the agency of illustrated catalogs placed in the hands of the customers, these catalogs, extending back over years, become an index of the changes in the demands and taste of the people.
The things which the people now buy as representing the essentials of life are, in a general way, conducive to wholesome, healthy and clean living, and the things which they procure for their amusement, recreation and education are largely of a character to develop in a commendable way the mental and spiritual side of their natures. Comparison with catalogs of the earlier years shows a decided increase in the variety of things purchased and a marked development in quality and design. Particularly is this true in respect to furniture, wall paper, house furnishings and decorations, as well as in many other articles. The improvement is most striking in the standard of taste displayed in the selection of books, ornaments, musical instruments