the educated eye of an advertising man, as would purple and red in combination, in the dress of a woman, to a person of educated and refined tastes.

But some one will say-as some do"What's the odds so long as the ad pulls ?"

Our contention is not for correct "style," merely for style's sake,-although that is not a trifling consideration--but for correct style for the sake of effectiveness; and in order to serve the double purpose of contrasting the English and the American idea of correct "style" in setting an advertisement, and allowing our readers to judge which they consider the more effective of the two advertisements, we have made zinc etchings of the cuts used in the advertisement of S. Trenner & Son, as set by Progressive Advertising, and asked the foreman of our print shop to set the ad, exercising his judgment as to correct style in setting.

In the English advertisement, incongruity is apparent at a glance. There is a total lack of balance and cohesion. The eye rejects it, because of its splotchy, inartistic make-up. Everything about it seems to be at loose ends. The unconscious effect of this wretched composition cannot be other than bad.

The advertisement set by us is harmonious, because one series of typeCheltenham-is used throughout, and because of its harmoniousness, it invites a reading.

The main thought of the writer of the advertisement, "Special advantages of Outdoor Signs," is properly emphasized, and the cuts are so placed as to make a well-balanced page, while this disposition of them does not in the least detract from their effectiveness, as an integral part of the advertisement.

The wording of the advertisement has not been changed, except in paragraph "3," in the body of the advertisement, where the orthography, in the original, was faulty to a degree.

Which "style" is the best? We will ask our advertisers to decide.

English and American Commercial Art Compared

In both England and America, commercial art plays a prominent part in advertising, consequently when the comparative merits of English and American advertising are being considered, it is not out of place to compare the work of commercial artists on both sides of the Atlantic.

As Progressive Advertising professes to reflect the highest English standards in advertising and commercial art, we very naturally look to it for the best work of English commercial artists.

In the February issue, in which the editorial and advertisement which we have been considering appeared, there also appeared the reproduction of a drawing by Rossi Ashton, which is highly lauded by Progressive Advertising, as follows:

"Messrs. Coleman & Co., Arundel St., Strand, have just issued a telling drawing for Coleman's Wincarnis. Powerfully drawn by Rossi Ashton. The picture is exceedingly picturesque. The legend, 'The Source of Britain's Strength,' takes the eye at once, and the figures of the Soldier and Sailor are full of that virile capacity which it is claimed Wincarnis produces."

As this "telling drawing" is so highly commended by the English publication, that is the critic of commercial art, and as it is a fair average specimen of drawings deemed worthy of reproduction and favorable comment by Progressive Advertising, we have made a zinc etchingsame size as original—of Rossi Ashton's "Powerfully drawn" and "exceedingly picturesque picture," and present it on page 410, in order that American advertisers may be in position to judge as to whether or not Mr. W. Teignmouth Shore's statement that his English brethren are "slipshod" in their advertising methods, applies to English commercial art.

Judged by the standards of American commercial art, this drawing would merit only condemnation, and one can but wonder as to whether the English critic, who wrote the highly commendatory item regarding this travesty on commercial art, was honest in his estimate of Rossi Ashton's picture.

He says it is a "telling drawing.” Had he stopped there, we should have agreed with him, although we probably would disagree as to what the drawing "tells." "Powerfully drawn-Exceedingly picturesque-The figures of the Soldier and Sailor are full of that virile capacity which it is claimed Wincarnis produces."

The English critic's idea of "powerful drawing" and picturesqueness is beyond us, and if the "virility" of the British soldier and sailor is faithfully portrayed in this drawing, then "God save the King," should there be another Boer War. But we know differently. Great Britain's soldiers and sailors are possessed of virility of the right sort.

The critic might have truthfully said that, the artist evidently tried to picture the evil effects of Coleman's Wincarnis on the British soldier and sailor, for he pictured the soldier as an attenuated specimen of humanity, very wobbly in the legs, and evidently afraid that his gun might go off accidentally. As to the sailor, he appears to have absorbed most of the said "virility," but it evidently went to his head and neck, principally to his neck, we should surmise.

We know nothing about the article intended to be advertised; no doubt it is O. K., but the advertisement of itso highly praised by Progressive Advertising is a "knock" of the kind that never becomes a "boost."

Wherein does it fall below American advertising in "style"?

Well, simply as an illustration of what an American commercial artist would produce were he asked to draw such an advertisement according to instructions, we handed the English production, and the English laudatory comment on same, to a young staff artist of the LongCritchfield Corporation, publishers of AGRICULTURAL ADVERTISING, and asked this young artist to redraw the advertisement, taking the comment of Progressive Advertising as his cue, and we present his drawing as a fair specimen of American Commercial Art,-just an ordinary everyday, moderate-priced drawing.

Do English advertisers approve of such "slipshod" methods in advertising? Surely they can do better, if they are capable of judging between mediocre, and even wretched work, and really good work; for good advertising can be done, is being done in England, but frankness compels us to say that the English advertising journals are not practical exponents of the highest type of even English advertising.

We wonder if the best English advertising is not the work of some of the Americans who have located in London, There is our old-time friend, Paul Derrick, for instance, formerly head of the Paul E. Derrick Advertising Agency of New York. He is a Londoner now.

Too bad that Paul left America! We hope that the move will prove a good one for him. He did excellent work for Quaker Oats here, and he is capable of doing just as good work for the Britishers, if they'll only let him. His Derrick's British Report, just launched the first of this year, is an excellent publication, and we wish him success. He deserves it.

I

of the leading Advertising Clubs of the United States were published. Data concerning the Advertisers' Club of Cincinnati and the Town Criers Club of St. Paul reached us too late for March, and are given place in this issue.

Many letters were received thanking AGRICULTURAL ADVERTISING for these sketches.

Next month we will publish the doings of the various clubs. In this issue will be found brief accounts of the recent banquets of the Agate and the Atlas Clubs of Chicago.

T. E. ANDREWS. Pres. Tuesday of each month, with the exception of the summer months. They are well attended and accompanied with considerable enthusiasm.

The programs of the club are planned mainly so as to bring out discussions of every-day, practical topics and the interchange of ideas on these subjects.

The club has been working for the year past in the endeavor to bring to a focus the movement towards advertising the City. The work has for a year or two been done in a hit-ormiss fashion by various organizations and the club feels that it has accomplished at least one

thing in bringing together these various or

CHAS. E. BUCKBEE, Sec'y.

ganizations and the formation of a central organization for the purpose of advertising the city in a systematic way, in addition to the benefits which have accrued to the individual members.

The present officers are Pres., Mr. T. E. Andrews; Vice-President, S. C. Theis; Treas., S. Greve; Sec., Chas. E. Buckbee.

The club has recently started the publication of a small monthly magazine,

The Town Crier, devoted to their own interests.

The Advertisers' Club of Cincinnati

By H. E. Hall

was

The Advertisers' Club of Cincinnati, while not the largest of the Queen City commercial organizations nor the stocks possessor of any and bonds (aside from the usual "stock" of argument and the "bonds" of good fellowship), is an institution that is creating some flurry, nevertheless, in the town by the turgid Ohio. The club was organized January 27, 1904, at the Burnet House, as the Five Point Club, and this name maintained for nearly two years when it was changed to the The present title. membership is now 200 and if the present rate of increase obtains, there will be no fewer than four hundred aggressive ad fellows of the Cincinnati vintage ready and

ripe for a big time SMITH B. QUEAL, Pres. in August, when

the National Convention of Advertising Clubs meets in annual convention.

A splendid committee of ten, of which Mr. H. J. Haarmeyer is chairman, is hard at work arranging the program for the National gathering.