The concept of placing a poster on a structure especially designed for it, rather than simply pasting it on a fence or the side of a building, had been the goal of industry leaders since 1871. This single development, while seemingly modest, was necessary in the effort to make the billboard a medium with an identifiable framework. The standardized structure allowed the advertisement to be replaced in the landscape or cityscape with a certain authority as a medium; this authority was not lost on existing –as well as potential- clients.
Page 14 The American Billboard: 100 years/ by James Fraser
