24 



The Florists' Review 



N()Vi:Miu:it 14, \\n'2. 



ROCHESTER. 



The l\()(hcsti'r llowcr sliow, wliiih was 

 (icscrilitMi ill hist \V(>('k 's issue of Tlic 

 ]{('\ it'w ami which has Just closed, was 

 niadc iiotalilc hy the fact that it can 

 almost lit" called a imiMici|ial (lower 

 sliow. The idea that it was lieiny coii- 

 iiiicte(| liv a comiiier(dal association was 



tee, is also a iiews[iajier man, and it 

 was throu<;li his etforts that much of 

 the e.\tiMisi\ (' puldicity was made pos- 

 sible. Besides th\^ f,'enerosity of the 

 iu>wspa|iers, the business houses jjave 

 jireat assistance. This was all done 

 with the (iistributiou of not more than 

 1,200 com])limentary tickets. The hall 

 is centrally located and is a ]dace where 



A View of the Rochester Flower Show. 



studiously kept in the liack;^rouiid. 

 Tliere was no coiiiiiet ition for pri/cs and 

 all schemes of the exhibitors to adver- 

 tise thems(d\('s were rij^orously riib'd 

 out. Tlie\ Were allowed only to put 

 their name nn their exhibits on incoii- 

 s|dcuoiis. uniform cards. They were also 

 forced to liavc their exhibits harmoni/e 

 with Ihe general scheme of decoration. 

 .\ ci\ic atmosphere was f^iveii by the 

 fact that K'oihester is wiibdy known as 

 the blower ('ity, and this allowecl the 

 <'liamber of (■ommerce to yi\e a j^icat 

 deal of help. 



The method of handlinji the b'o( liester 

 shiiw ililfered in tlirei' iui|)ortant |ioiiits 

 from tli:it nsu.-illy pursuecl. The lirst 

 was tlu' senii-cixic (duirai'ter. The sei- 

 ond was the character ami extent <>i' 

 t}ie advert isiiii:, which was made pos 

 sible by a show of this ihara<ter. The 

 tliiid p(dnt was tlie ^^ciieial scheme of 

 decoration use(|. 



K\(>r,\ thill}; practicable was ilone to 

 j;i\'e the show as iiiiudi of a ci\ ic atmos- 

 phere as possible. In the carrvin;; out 

 (d' this idea, tlie newspapers ami the 

 'haniiier (d (■ommerce did much. Tlie 

 newsjiapers always referred to the slutw 

 as the Ko(hester show, as if it were a 

 municipal alfair. The |iark board, be- 

 sides beiny ;i larL;e exhibitor, furnished 

 the park band for the opening day. Tlie 

 city also furnishe<| the hall, a lar^c 

 municipal auditorium, centrally located. 

 It miyht also be noted here that .Mr. 

 Dunbar, ju'esident of the l-lorists' .\sso 

 ciation, is assistant su|ierintenr|eiit of 

 jiarks. 



It was this civic character of the 

 enterprise that the advertising conimif- 

 tee used as a basis for its caiu]iai}rn. 

 Mr. Crockett, chairman of the coinmit- 



the K'ocli(>ster public is in the habit of 

 jioinji' to see a j^ooil <-l:iss of attrac- 

 tions, larj^ely Tiiunicipal. b'ot hesterians 

 are ;tlso enthusiasts over band concerts, 

 and for this reason the music committee 

 secured jdenty of first -cdass music. 



'J'he unity of the desi^iii was p(>rha|is 

 the most noticeable feature of tlu> deco- 

 ration. Thouijii the hall is divi<led into 



two rooms, the colonial fjarden scheme 

 was carried tlirouKliout. It was much 

 like imssiu};- from a lar^e, less formal 

 ].art into a smaller but more formal 

 part of the same jiarden. To carry out 

 this scheme necessitated the liuiitinj; of 

 the individual exhibitors. They were 

 forced to arrange their exhibit so that 

 each would be in harmony with its posi- 

 tion, its neighbor, and the jj;eneral de- 

 sij;n. This really subordinated the 

 flowers to the decoration. It was a case 

 of the exhibits },nvinfi up much of their 

 direct advertisin}; value for the sake 

 of the "leneral effect. It was as won- 

 di-rful an exhibition of restraint and co- 

 operation on th(> jiart of the exhibitors, 

 as it was of interior decoration. Much 

 of the advertising value of the show 

 lay in the stimulus that it would give 

 to the trade in general. 



Hung from the ceiling of each room 

 was a false ceiling made of latti»-ework 

 trimmed with southern smilax, two car- 

 loads of vvhiidi were used in this ami 

 other decorations. This, combined with 

 the unique lighting scheme, gr(>atlv 

 aided in giving a subdue<l effect. The 

 ample lighting was all imlirect. The 

 ceiling lights were reflected upward and 

 the side lights were all shaded, the aim 

 (if the design bidng to produce an (dfect 

 (d' restfuluess and ipiiet charm. 



There seems to be a general feeling 

 on the part of the exhibitors that the 

 show was wtdl worth while, even if it 

 should turn out, when the bills are all 

 ill, that theie is a small dtdicit to be 

 sluuildered. 



The Tea IJoom, under the general 

 direct i(oi of .Mrs. Win. L. Ktdler, jiresi- 

 deiit of the Lailies' Association, iind 

 Mrs. .lohn Dunbar, chairman of the re 

 freshment committee, turned a haml-^ 

 some profit. The meals provided for 

 exhiliitors promoteil good ftdlowshiji 

 among the florists. 



.Mr. Dunbar's sjdendid collection of 

 shrul s with ornamental fruits proved 

 to be one cd' the strong features of the 



stiow. 



The line exhibit of Ilir/im \V. Sibley, 

 Stephen Berry, gardener,' bv error last 

 week was credited to ( b'o. I'lastnum. 



\t)\\r correspondent last wecd^ over- 



A View of the Rochester Flower Show. 



