the post-war rise of the consumer, Ryland "The Colonel" Pratt saw an opportunity to get into the outdoor advertising business. With a history in the printing business, he officially... founded Pratt Poster Company in Indianapolis, IN with his three sons. 1946 Get Your Letter Banners Here! The Colonel pioneered banners consisting of 19" tall block letters attached... to 50-foot ropes. They were silk screened in the shop and hemmed by neighborhood women with two Singer sewing machines. These letter banners, along with silk-screened posters...