The distinctive Victorian style of layout for advertisements showcased extreme variations of type size and weight, all crammed within the page format, was an invention of expedience, allowing the printer to utilize every inch of precious space. Another distinction easily recognized is the use of extravagant embellishments commonly applied to architecture, furniture, clothing, and carried over to appear in elaborate borders and lettering in graphic design. A taste for ornamentation and ostentation was becoming a dominant style. Enjoy these examples. Which ad do you think is the strangest? Which one makes you want to purchase the product featured?
