Morris column
Encyclopedia
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where the first 100 columns were installed in 1855. Advertising columns were invented by the German printer Ernst Litfaß
Ernst Litfaß
Ernst Amandus Theodor Litfaß , was a German printer and publisher. His claim to fame rests on the invention of the free-standing cylindrical advertising column which bears his name....
in 1854. Therefore it is known as Litfaßsäule (Litfaß column) in Germany, and can be found all over the country there.
In France originally built by La Société Fermière des Colonnes Morris, from which they derive their name, they are mostly built and maintained today by the JCDecaux
JCDecaux
JCDecaux Group is a multinational corporation based in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, that is active primarily in advertising....
company, which purchased Morris in 1986.
Development
The idea of advertising pillars came about in order to combat rampant advertising and graffiti.Ernst Litfaß suggested that pillars should be built all over the city. People could then place their advertisements on these pillars. On December 5, 1854, after years of proceedings, the Berlin's chief of police, Karl Ludwig von Hinkeldey authorized Litfaß' „Annoncier-Säulen“. He had exclusive rights to the building of these columns until 1865.
Purposes
Advertising columns are most typically used to display advertisements in the form of posters; many such advertisements have traditionally concerned theater, cinema, nightclub, and concert announcements. Some are motorized and rotate very slowly. A few Advertising columns house SanisetteSanisette
Sanisette is a registered trademark for a self-contained, self-cleaning, unisex, public toilet pioneered by the French company JCDecaux. These toilets are a common sight in several major cities of the world, but they are perhaps most closely associated with the city of Paris, where they are...
s or telephone booths. At the beginning of 2006, there were 790 Morris columns in Paris, of which 18 contained telephones and six contained Sanisettes. Some 233 Advertising columns are scheduled to be removed in the near future.
Cultural references
- In the movie The Third ManThe Third ManThe Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
, Harry Lime (played by Orson WellesOrson WellesGeorge Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
) uses one of these columns as an escape route to the sewer system under Vienna.
- In the movie Gremlins 2Gremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
, Billy Peltzer (played by Zach GalliganZach GalliganZachary Wolfe "Zach" Galligan is an American actor.-Biography:Galligan was born in New York City, the son of Carol Jean , a psychologist, and Arthur John Galligan, a lawyer who was a founding partner of the law firm of Dickstein Shapiro. He has a sister, Jessica, and attended Columbia University...
) and Daniel Clamp (played by John GloverJohn GloverJohn Glover may refer to:*John Glover *John Glover , American general*John Glover , English-Australian painter*John Montgomery Glover , U.S. Representative from Missouri...
), use one of these columns as an escape route from the GremlinGremlinA gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more...
infested Clamp Building.
- In the movie Men in Black IIMen in Black IIMen in Black II is a 2002 science fiction action comedy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film also stars Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Knoxville, Rosario Dawson and Rip Torn...
, Agent K (played by Tommy Lee JonesTommy Lee JonesTommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
) and Agent J (played by Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
), use a column as an escape route from an alienExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
infested MiBMen in BlackMen in Black , in American popular culture and in UFO conspiracy theories, are men dressed in black suits who claim to be government agents who harass or threaten UFO witnesses to keep them quiet about what they have seen. It is sometimes implied that they may be aliens themselves...
Headquarters.