Fifth avenue, in New York, has a character thoroughly at vari ance with the streets noted. Although the original theory of the shopkeeper had quite simply been a willingness to adapt Euro pean forms, the rapid development of the Avenue has forced serious changes in style in so breathless a form that the description is difficult. At one period, particularly at the beginning of the loth century, the classic revival produced excellent varieties of Italian palaces transformed into stores that are slowly feeling the pressure of business changes. The uneven sky-line which the daily rebuilding further exaggerates tends to complicate the problem by presenting difficult questions of scale. The struggle seems to lie between the policy of the large show window of the Altman, Bon wit Teller and Franklin Simon store type as against the smaller window and larger wall surface as exemplified in the Cammeyer, Dobbs and Bergdorf-Goodman stores. The tendency on Fifth avenue has been thoroughly conservative and its appearance, in spite of the restraint, is dignified and well worthy of the most important shopping district in the country.
In Germany, the illumination of the exterior and the interior of the window has been greatly exploited by the use of tubular lamps which, on occasion, frame the store opening, or where the same lamps are used to develop a store name and appear during the day as letters against a proper background, at night presenting a brilliant design against the dark surface of the building. These tubular lamps do not throw a large amount of illumination but show themselves as brilliant units of glowing colour. In Germany, likewise, the use of sheets of glass is to be noted, wherein varying possibilities of effect are produced. In some cases a white glass is used to form surface patterns through which, at night, light is thrown, thereby presenting a very brilliant impression to the street. This is particularly noticeable in restaurants or stores where the major requirement is a sensational effect. Another use of the glass is in the application of sheets of opaque material; blue, black and white glass acting as a veneer, either framed in metal or bolted to the wall as purely decorative material. Throughout France and Germany, mosaic has been extensively used, and the possibilities of colour effect which this material per mits appear to be unlimited.
In Paris, the large stores, as contrasted with the specialty shops of the streets before mentioned, have developed a design ex tremely characteristic of Paris. The Printemps, Bon Marche and
the Galleries Lafayette have, during the past few years, redesigned their façades, not only to keep abreast of the modern note in design, but to maintain the public's interest, apparently in their own evolution. It is quite likely that Paris, being a cosmopolitan city, requires more active development than similar cities in the United States or England might find advisable, and it is likewise obvious that according to American and English standards French stores are somewhat over-elaborate. There must be a nice bal ance between the interesting frame and the merchandise within, quite in the same proportion that a painting or a piece of sculp ture requires careful handling to be enhanced by its background.
In spite of this criticism, however, the French stores unquestion ably are of great interest and apparently hold the popular enthusi asm through their present policies.
The German stores, in particular the Wertheim building, de signed by A. Messel in 1905, and which is still the prototype for big store design in Germany, resemble the French stores in their elaboration, with profuseness of carving and decoration, explain ing a period when money was available for such use. It would seem to be a happy misfortune that the requirement for economy in Germany to-day is causing the designers to simplify the forms to a point where effects are obtained with a great reduction in decoration and more emphasis on proportion, colour and purity of form.
Among American examples might be noted the work of Louis Sullivan, in New York and Chicago, in particular the Carson Pixie Scott and Co. store which, although most exuberant in detail, shows an interesting variance in pattern from the work of its day.
In more recent days through 1935, the tendency has veered more and more towards simplicity—note the stores in the new Rockefeller group in New York. Materials are given most careful consideration for the simple reason that ornamentation being sec ondary, proportion and substance are of primary importance. Lettering is often the only enrichment and has, therefore, been studied in relation to the scale and character of the establishment. Lighting of the store windows has progressed far beyond the re quirements of a decade ago. New reflectors are available and the amount of light has increased materially. Show window backs have changed from elaborate wooden structures to far simpler ele ments that permit rapid change of displays and settings.