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ELEMENTS OF
SHOW CARD WRITING

A Course of Instruction On How to Make Business-Building Show Cards

By JOHN H. DeWILD

Prepared for the
EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF THE
ASSOCIATED ADVERTISING CLUBS OF THE WORLD
New York, N. Y.

Copyright 1923, by John H. DeWild

It is with pleasure that we present this text on Show Card Writing by Mr. John H. DeWild ofSt. Louis.

It is designed primarily for the use of the study classes in the educational work of the AdvertisingClubs that comprise this Association.

It is built out of the practical experience of a class that Mr. DeWild has conducted with successin the Advertising Club of St. Louis. In fact, the publication of the book has been somewhat delayedowing to changes that have been made in the original plan; changes that have greatly addedto its practical value and that have come out of Mr. DeWild’s experience in his advertising class.

It should be mentioned that Mr. DeWild is the manager of the Merchants’ Service Departmentof the Ely & Walker Dry Goods Co., St. Louis. He has written books before on this subject. Beinga practical merchandise and advertising man he knows the sales and advertising value ofproperly made show cards. He understands the technique of show card writing perhaps as well asany man in the country.

This is one of a series of texts prepared for the Educational Committee of the Associated AdvertisingClubs and it is hoped by the Committee that it may serve an important place in improvingthe quality of show card writing and its advertising and sales value throughout the stores ofthis country and of Canada and of every country where an Advertising Club is located.

Associated Advertising Clubs of the World.

The ten practical lessons which follow, togetherwith numerous supplementary alphabets and showcardsuggestions, are the result of careful study, based uponyears of experience gained in teaching the simplefundamentals of showcard writing to various groups ofmerchants and employees, demonstrations before RetailMerchants’ Associations, conventions and in othereducational work.

The lessons were formulated into the course recentlyinaugurated under the direction of the EducationalCommittee of the Advertising Club of St. Louis. Sosuccessful was the course that this book has been preparedwith the idea in mind not only to serve as a textbook for instructors, where it is desired to conductclasses under the auspices of an Advertising Club, butalso for the student or store employee who desires todo individual practice outside of a classroom. This isthe only text book published which carries the studentforward, lesson by lesson—in a simple, practical manner.(Note the charts for beginners).

It is easy to acquire, in a very short time, theability to do suitable showcard work, provided the studentfirst of all masters the fundamentals