Do you recall waiting for the special Christmas Displays in Department Stores as a child?
I certainly do. Every year it was very exciting to see what they had come up with to get consumers into the Christmas spirit and invite them in to spend.
Mortimer’s, 1916
Display windows are relatively new: the availability of plate glass from the late 1800s allowed shop owners to build large windows spanning the full lengths of their shops - and so window-shopping was born.
Shops weren’t the only establishments starting to invite people in by showing what was available on the inside. In Edward Hopper’s famous (and fabulous) Nighthawks above you can see how effective those huge windows are in making us want to go inside, towards the light and warmth.
These are windows that divide the have- and have-nots. A Chanel or Hermes window display is a filter just as much as an invitation.
But the beauty and creativity we can see in store and restaurant windows is undeniable.
Today, look for and capture those windows that invite you in.
To buy, to eat, to drink, to relax. And do share your finds on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #kramerseye.