File:The American annual of photography (1917) (14781616364).jpg

Identifier: americanannualof1917newy (find matches)
Title: The American annual of photography
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors:
Subjects: Photography
Publisher: New York : Tennant and Ward
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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Atlanticto the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico, city studios and smalltown studios alike have used the coupon or ticket plan forstimulating business. Coupon selling is a profession in itself and the forms ofcoupons are many and varied. But all meet on the commonground of a reduced price; for instance, by purchasing themagical ticket or coupon, the buyer may receive two photo-graphs worth $25. a dozen for 50c to the salesman and 50cat the studio. Sometimes the salesman collects a dollar withthe same amount payable at the studio; sometimes he collectsa dollar with the understanding that nothing is to be paid atthe studio. But it matters little about these differences incoupon plans for the principle is the same: the customer isgetting the pictures at a greatly reduced price, sometimes atless than half-price, sometimes at about twenty per cent of theaverage price for the same work in this same studio, andsometimes he gets the pictures for nothing—merely for thewalking away with them! 70
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C/) I—I WH 71 Such a proposition is fundamentally unreasonable and it iseconomically unsound. One price or the other must be wrong.No photographer who is justified in asking $25 a dozen forportraits can possibly afford to sell two for $2 which is thereading of a very popular coupon ticket. In reality, he sellstwo for $1, for the agent, of course, keeps the first payment. A photograph should mean something more than mere fin-ished material. It is not merely an exposed plate, a finishedand mounted print. It should mean thought, skill, ability; itshould mean the careful interpretation of each sitters bestcharacteristics. The product of brains is high-priced in thesedays in any line. Why should a photographer not charge forknowing how? Knowing how is the open sesame to success; why shoulda photographer overlook it? A master mechanic was oncecalled to a certain factory to find a break in the machinery.Many laborers were idle while the machinists had searched invain for the

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