the americanization of edward bok-第52部分

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mall…house　plans　by　the　foremost　architects　of　the　country；　whose　services　the　average　householder　could　otherwise　never　have　dreamed　of　securing。

Bok　not　only　saw　an　opportunity　to　better　the　exterior　of　the　small　houses；　but　he　determined　that　each　plan　published　should　provide　for　two　essentials：　every　servant's　room　should　have　two　windows　to　insure　cross…ventilation；　and　contain　twice　the　number　of　cubic　feet　usually　given　to　such　rooms；　and　in　place　of　the　American　parlor；　which　he　considered　a　useless　room；　should　be　substituted　either　a　living…room　or　a　library。　He　did　not　point　to　these　improvements；　every　plan　simply　presented　the　larger　servant's　room　and　did　not　present　a　parlor。　It　is　a　singular　fact　that　of　the　tens　of　thousands　of　plans　sold；　not　a　purchaser　ever　noticed　the　absence　of　a　parlor　except　one　woman　in　Brookline；　Mass。；　who；　in　erecting　a　group　of　twenty…five　〃Journal　houses；〃　discovered　after　she　had　built　ten　that　not　one　contained　a　parlor！

〃Ladies'　Home　Journal　houses〃　were　now　going　up　in　communities　all　over　the　country；　and　Bok　determined　to　prove　that　they　could　be　erected　for　the　prices　given。　Accordingly；　he　published　a　prize　offer　of　generous　amount　for　the　best　set　of　exterior　and　interior　photographs　of　a　house　built　after　a　Journal　plan　within　the　published　price。　Five　other　and　smaller　prizes　were　also　offered。　A　legally　attested　builder's　declaration　was　to　accompany　each　set　of　photographs。　The　sets　immediately　began　to　come　in；　until　over　five　thousand　had　been　received。　Bok　selected　the　best　of　these；　awarded　the　prizes；　and　began　the　presentation　of　the　houses　actually　built　after　the　published　plans。

Of　course　this　publication　gave　fresh　impetus　to　the　whole　scheme；　prospective　house…builders　pointed　their　builders　to　the　proof　given；　and　additional　thousands　of　sets　of　plans　were　sold。　The　little　houses　became　better　and　better　in　architecture　as　the　series　went　on；　and　occasionally　a　plan　for　a　house　costing　as　high　as　ten　thousand　dollars　was　given。

For　nearly　twenty…five　years　Bok　continued　to　publish　pictures　of　houses　and　plans。　Entire　colonies　of　〃Ladies'　Home　Journal　houses〃　have　sprung　up；　and　building　promoters　have　built　complete　suburban　developments　with　them。　How　many　of　these　homes　have　been　erected　it　is；　of　course；　impossible　to　say；　the　number　certainly　runs　into　the　thousands。

It　was　one　of　the　most　constructive　and　far…reaching　pieces　of　work　that　Bok　did　during　his　editorial　careera　fact　now　recognized　by　all　architects。　Shortly　before　Stanford　White　passed　away；　he　wrote：　〃I　firmly　believe　that　Edward　Bok　has　more　completely　influenced　American　domestic　architecture　for　the　better　than　any　man　in　this　generation。　When　he　began；　I　was　short…sighted　enough　to　discourage　him；　and　refused　to　cooperate　with　him。　If　Bok　came　to　me　now；　I　would　not　only　make　plans　for　him；　but　I　would　waive　any　fee　for　them　in　retribution　for　my　early　mistake。〃

Bok　then　turned　to　the　subject　of　the　garden　for　the　small　house；　and　the　development　of　the　grounds　around　the　homes　which　he　had　been　instrumental　in　putting　on　the　earth。　He　encountered　no　opposition　here。　The　publication　of　small　gardens　for　small　houses　finally　ran　into　hundreds　of　pages；　the　magazine　supplying　planting　plans　and　full　directions　as　to　when　and　how　to　plant…this　time　without　cost。

Next　the　editor　decided　to　see　what　he　could　do　for　the　better　and　simpler　furnishing　of　the　small　American　home。　Here　was　a　field　almost　limitless　in　possible　improvement；　but　he　wanted　to　approach　it　in　a　new　way。　The　best　method　baffled　him　until　one　day　he　met　a　woman　friend　who　told　him　that　she　was　on　her　way　to　a　funeral　at　a　friend's　home。

〃I　didn't　know　you　were　so　well　acquainted　with　Mrs。　S；〃　said　Bok。

〃I　wasn't；　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　replied　the　woman。　〃I'll　be　perfectly　frank；　I　am　going　to　the　funeral　just　to　see　how　Mrs。　S's　house　is　furnished。　She　was　always　thought　to　have　great　taste；　you　know；　and；　whether　you　know　it　or　not；　a　woman　is　always　keen　to　look　into　another　woman's　home。〃

Bok　realized　that　he　had　found　the　method　of　presentation　for　his　interior…furnishing　plan　if　he　could　secure　photographs　of　the　most　carefully　furnished　homes　in　America。　He　immediately　employed　the　best　available　expert；　and　within　six　months　there　came　to　him　an　assorted　collection　of　over　a　thousand　photographs　of　well…furnished　rooms。　The　best　were　selected；　and　a　series　of　photographic　pages　called　〃Inside　of　100　Homes〃　was　begun。　The　editor's　woman　friend　had　correctly　pointed　the　way　to　him；　for　this　series　won　for　his　magazine　the　enviable　distinction　of　being　the　first　magazine　of　standing　to　reach　the　then　marvellous　record　of　a　circulation　of　one　million　copies　a　month。　The　editions　containing　the　series　were　sold　out　as　fast　as　they　could　be　printed。

The　editor　followed　this　up　with　another　successful　series；　again　pictorial。　He　realized　that　to　explain　good　taste　in　furnishing　by　text　was　almost　impossible。　So　he　started　a　series　of　all…picture　pages　called　〃Good　Taste　and　Bad　Taste。〃　He　presented　a　chair　that　was　bad　in　lines　and　either　useless　or　uncomfortable　to　sit　in；　and　explained　where　and　why　it　was　bad；　and　then　put　a　good　chair　next　to　it；　and　explained　where　and　why　it　was　good。

The　lesson　to　the　eye　was　simply　and　directly　effective；　the　pictures　told　their　story　as　no　printed　word　could　have　done；　and　furniture　manufacturers　and　dealers　all　over　the　country；　feeling　the　pressure　from　their　customers；　began　to　put　on　the　market　the　tables；　chairs；　divans；　bedsteads；　and　dressing…tables　which　the　magazine　was　portraying　as　examples　of　good　taste。　It　was　amazing　that；　within　five　years；　the　physical　appearance　of　domestic　furniture　in　the　stores　completely　changed。

The　next　undertaking　was　a　systematic　plan　for　improving　the　pictures　on　the　walls　of　the　American　home。　Bok　was　employing　the　best　artists　of　the　day：　Edwin　A。　Abbey；　Howard　Pyle；　Charles　Dana　Gibson；　W。　L。　Taylor；　Albert　Lynch；　Will　H。　Low；　W。　T。　Smedley；　Irving　R。　Wiles；　and　others。　As　his　magazine　was　rolled　to　go　through　the　mails；　the　pictures　naturally　suffered；　Bok　therefore　decided　to　print　a　special　edition　of　each　important　picture　that　he　published；　an　edition　on　plate…paper；　without　text；　and　offered　to　his　readers　at　ten　cents　a　copy。　Within　a　year　he　had　sold　nearly　one　hundred　thousand　copies；　such　pictures　as　W。　L。　Taylor's　〃The　Hanging　of　the　Crane〃　and　〃Home…Keeping　Hearts〃　being　particularly　popular。

Pictures　were　difficult　to　advertise　successfully；　it　was　before　the　full…color　press　had　become　practicable　for　rapid　magazine　work；　and　even　the　large…page　black…and…white　reproductions　which　Bok　could　give　in　his　magazine　did　not；　of　course；　show　the　beauty　of　the　original　paintings；　the　majority　of　which　were　in　full　color。　He　accordingly　made　arrangements　with　art　publishers　to　print　his　pictures　in　their　original　colors；　then　he　determined　to　give　the　public　an　opportunity　to　see　what　the　pictures　themselves　looked　like。

He　asked　his　art　editor　to　select　the　two　hundred　and　fifty　best　pictures　and　frame　them。　Then　he　engaged　the　art　gallery　of　the　Philadelphia　Art　Club；　and　advertise