Historical ads get the least interest of anything I’ve posted, but tough cookies, imma post this anyway!
Advertisements in the Roman Empire took multiple forms. There were fliers, but those were expensive (no printing presses!), rare, and few or none survived into the modern era. Criers would shout in public spaces. Also, near shops or taverns, frescoes were painted to attract customers.
The above fresco was for the business of Veranius Hypsaeus, a fuller. Fullers dealt in cleaning and repair of textiles, which were relatively more expensive then. Fullers, or sometimes their slaves, would clean them by working chemicals in with their feet, as seen below. Then, suspended dirt and oils would be washed out in large basins. They could also refresh colors.
The remains of Veranius Hypsaeus’ home and business still exists today.
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I was just there a few months ago and missed this–one thing you aren’t really prepared for is how large the site is. It’s not a village, it was a proper city. I was there for 3-4 hours and didn’t even get to the massive arena/Colosseum they had on site. Definitely crazy how well preserved everything was, down to paint on tiles and frescoes.
Oh for sure. I’ve never been, but I’ve seen photo essays from inside homes, where parts of the original wall paintings were still present. I imagine those were well-to-do citizens, but it’s amazing.
Very cool that you got to see it IRL!