Escapees May-June 2023

It is interesting to note that Gude must have seen the bene fi t of high numbers of viewers in certain places. For example, his fi rst billboard was in Times Square. This meant that those walking to a nearby subway station entrance, those exiting Broadway shows and those who visited Times Square would see the glowing sign with its fl ashing message. By the way, the tallest billboard in the world is there in New York City’s Times Square. Visible From Space Did you know that Times Square billboards are visible in outer space? In 2013, on a mission to outer space, astronauts took photos clearly designating a long rectangle in the middle of Manhattan as Central Park and the brightly lighted billboards beside thePark. Billboards range in size. However, there are two general groups of sizes with large ones made with 96 sheets of poster paper or vinyl; others can be four, 32, 48 and 64 sheets. However, in Madrid, Spain, a bill board that makes all other billboards seem tiny, has been installed. This billboard is the size of 20 tennis courts or an American football fi eld. Many factors have in fl uenced the popu larity of billboards. For example, in 1908, the Model T automobile became popular. Of course, this increased the number of people on roads and gave billboards more expo sure. In fact, owning a car soon become a necessity rather than a luxury, putting more people in automobiles to view billboards than ever before. So, it is possible that the automobile industry had a huge impact on the growth of the billboard trade. One writer explained, “It was the automobile industry that ushered billboards onto the main stage.” Billboards during the fi rst World War served a certain purpose. They did not advertise products. Instead, they were dominated with messages and advice to make sure the troops were ready for war. After the War, the billboards communicated peace. During World War II, billboards and posters, major forms of communication, had a way reaching everyone even in unusual

Travelers see billboards often when they travel on highways. These billboards are large panels for displaying advertisements in public places, such as town centers, high ways and train stations. Do the contents of those boards in fl uence us, entertain us or fi ll us with dis may? That answer depends on the content of the billboard and the views of the person who sees it. T he fi rst known billboard appeared a thousand years ago. This makes billboards one of the oldest forms of advertising. Before the fi rst news papers were published or the fi rst radio sent its messages, an obelisk was set up in Thebes, Egypt, advertising a reward for the return of a runaway slave. No one knows if that slave was appre hended. However, the Egyptians realized that they had discovered an excellent way to spread the news. Soon, obelisks were used to inform the public daily. This method of communication became an outlet for inform ing the public about what was occurring in their area. One must also realize that Johannes Gutenberg, in 1450, must be given credit for inventing movable print which led to modern advertising. Without print, billboards would not be effective in sending certain messages. In the 1830s, Jared Bell created some of the fi rst billboards using colorful pictures on large posters. These billboards were used to promote upcoming circus acts. A major shift took place in billboard advertising in the 1850s. This was when advertisers could actually purchase outdoor space for billboards. Contents of these early billboards consisted of hand-drawn or hand painted pictures which took a considerable amount of labor. Much later, Oscar J. Gude, a billboard pioneer, installed one of the fi rst electric signs in New York City, in 1904. This particular billboard undoubtedly attracted attention by fl ashing a message for advertis ing Trimble Whiskey.

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May/June 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine