Edwardian retail displays. First and only edition of this record of an ephemeral and charming art form, the retail window display.

The text is heavily illustrated, with numerous photographs of real pharmacy windows that show great creativity and ingenuity, including a 'pick your own sponge' orchard, massive toothpaste tubes, paper icicles, "underwater" scenes, and even live chickens for Easter. There are also detailed suggestions for signage and lettering, and instructions for creating mechanical devices that would point, wave, and generate continuous fountains. The publisher of this volume, Chemist and Druggist, was founded as a weekly in 1859 and is still published as an online periodical.

First edition; 8vo; illustrations throughout, many from monochrome photographs, free endpapers tanned, a little light spotting to the edges of the text block; original black cloth, titles to spine gilt, Chemist & Druggist magazine roundel to upper board in blind, a few small bumps to the edges, cloth very lightly rubbed with a few light marks, very good condition; 208pp.