Advertising - Overview
Advertising is meant to persuade, and the themes and techniques of that persuasion reveal a part of the nation's history. The Museum has preserved advertising campaigns for several familiar companies, such as Marlboro, Alka-Seltzer, Federal Express, Cover Girl, and Nike. It also holds the records of the NW Ayer Advertising Agency and business papers from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Carvel Ice Cream, and other companies. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana comprises thousands of trade cards, catalogs, labels, and other business papers and images dating back to the late 1700s.
Beyond advertising campaigns, the collections encompass thousands of examples of packaging, catalogs, and other literature from many crafts and trades, from engineering to hat making. The collections also contain an eclectic array of advertising objects, such as wooden cigar-store Indians, neon signs, and political campaign ads.
"Advertising - Overview" showing 162 items.
Page 1 of 17
- No Image Available
Tom Black/Smithsonian Magazine Oral History Interview, 1993
- Notes
- Tom Black was Smithsonian magazine's first director of advertising. His career in advertising also includes work for ABC Television, The March of Time Newsreels, Life Magazine and Time Magazine
- Summary
- Oral history interview, transcripts, and background material documenting Tom Black's career as director of advertising for Smithsonian Magazine from its founding in 1969 until his retirement in 1994
- Cite as
- Tom Black/Smithsonian Magazine Oral History Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1993
- 1960-2000
- 1990-2000
- 1980-2000
- interviewee
- Black, Tom 1924-
- interviewer
- Wiener, Tom
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
Ally and Gargano, Inc., Print Advertisements, 1962-ca. 1995
- Notes
- New York advertising agency, started in 1962. The company went public in 1983 and went out of business in 1995
- Summary
- Advertising portfoloios including copies of each print advertisement published for ninety accounts over a twenty-five year period. Clients include Hertz, Federal Express, IBM and MCI
- Cite as
- Ally and Gargano, Inc., Print Advertisements, 1962-ca. 1995, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1962
- 1962-1987
- 1962-ca 1995
- creator
- Ally and Gargano Advertising Agency New York (N.Y.)
- Ally, Carl
- donor
- Gargano, Amil
- Subject
- Bank of New York
- Canadair
- Dunkin' Donuts, Inc
- Federal Express Corporation
- Fiat
- Hertz Corporation
- Karastan
- Kobrand Corporation
- International Business Machines
- MCI Communications Corporation
- Northeast Airlines
- Pan American World Airways, Inc
- Pearl Brewing
- Pentax Precision Instrument Corporation
- Pharmacraft
- Piper Aircraft Corp
- Saab (Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget AB)
- Scandinavian Airlines System
- Volvo
- Local number
- 2007.3005 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Seven Sutherland Sisters' Hair Grower [black and white advertisement]
- Notes
- In Hair, Box 2
- Summary
- Photographer unidentified
- Cite as
- Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1880
- 1900
- [ca. 1880-1900]
- 1880-1990
- Local number
- 0300600352.tif (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
- No Image Available
The Sandra and Gary Baden Collection of Celebrity Endorsements in Advertising, ca. 1897-1979
- Summary
- Approx. 2000 magazine tear sheets of advertisements containing celebrity endorsements. The five categories of celebrities are: (1) performing arts; (2) politics and business; (3) sports; (4) society / fashion / royalty; and (5) writers / musicians / artists / singers
- Cite as
- The Sandra and Gary Baden Collection of Celebrity Endorsements in Advertising, 1897-1979, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1897
- 1979
- ca 1897-1979
- 20th century
- collector
- Baden, Gary
- Baden, Sandra
- Local number
- 1997.3144 (NMAH Acc.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
If you think you'll miss the guys, bring them along. [color advertisement; tear sheet]
- Summary
- Four young men playing touch football on a beach. Army recruiting information
- Cite as
- N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1971
- 1970-1980
- advertiser
- United States Army
- Local number
- AC0059-0000025m (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Today's Army wants to join you, [color advertisement; tear sheet]
- Summary
- Nine yearbook type photographs of young men
- Cite as
- N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1970
- 1970-1980
- advertiser
- United States Army
- Local number
- AC0059-0000024 (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
This is the Army, [color advertisement; tear sheet]
- Summary
- Includes photographic reproductions of a men in camouflage, man repelling from helicopter, men in a tank, (all in military uniform) and four men next to kayaks
- Cite as
- N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1979
- 1970-1980
- advertiser
- United States Army
- Local number
- AC0059-0000045 (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
You get 12 matches, a knife, some twine, and 3 days to enjoy yourself. [color advertisement; tear sheet]
- Summary
- Mountainous arid landscape. Army recruiting information
- Cite as
- N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1973
- 1970-1980
- advertiser
- United States Army
- Local number
- AC0059-0000047 (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Plymouth has it! [color advertisement; tear sheet]
- Summary
- Illustration of blue Plymouth in by a swimming pool in summer. Mom and three children are in the car while a young boy with a towel runs up to the car
- Cite as
- N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1947
- 1949
- Circa 1948
- 1940-1970
- 1940-1950
- advertiser
- Chrysler Corporation
- Local number
- AC0059-0000201m (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Here they come, Mom! And Jim won't need the wish-bone --they've got their Plymouth! [color advertisement; tear sheet]
- Summary
- Illustration of Grandma basting the Christmas turkey while Grampa looks out the window at a red car filled with people
- Cite as
- N. W. Ayer Advertising Agency Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1947
- 1949
- Circa 1948
- 1940-1970
- 1940-1950
- advertiser
- Chrysler Corporation
- Local number
- AC0059-0000203m (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
