War, 52 Carey Cartoons (ePub)

Excerpt: 'From time immemorial the human race has been interested in pictures of persons, scenes and things; and one of the most potent means of driving home ideas and lessons, and oftentimes of arousing human passions, is the cartoon. No longer venomous, the cartoon is regarded as a humorous or sarcastic comment on topics uppermost in the nation's mind. It is more than a picture, however, because it is also suggestive and presents a clear idea, lucidly and usually laughingly worked out. Naturally the cartoon carries with it a strong individual appeal and as such it is used quite extensively by the press. The idea of displaying cartoons of current events as a window attraction, however, is new, and has met with wide approval judging by the throngs which they attract. It originated with the Carey Fountain Pen Stores and has been used by them for about eight years. After demonstrating the success of this unique method of attracting the attention of the public, during which time a chain of pen stores has been established in the principal cities of the country, it was decided to extend the range of influence of the Carey cartoons by making them available to other merchants as well. As a result, hundreds of stores in the United States and in other countries are now using this means of dispelling the gloom from the face of the "man in the street. When the European War began, the subject did not appear very promising for cartoons intended for window display owing to the bitter partisan feelings the war engendered in the breasts of many whose ancestors came from one or other of the belligerent nations. Moreover, the President made a strong appeal to all citizens to refrain from unnatural words or deeds. In keeping with the spirit of the proclamation and out of deference to the feelings of very many citizens, absolute neutrality has been sought and maintained in the Carey war cartoons. This is no easy task and we believe that this difficult subject has been treated discreetly and masterfully as well. The cartoons are done in color and the artist has been accurate in his portrayal of the character and traits of the monarchs and peoples involved in the titanic struggle. The War being uppermost in the minds of all people at the present time, the cartoons are doubly effective on that account.'