Advertising

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.

Samuel Copp Jr. was a partner in the banking and exchange business of Allen, Copp, & Nisbet of St. Louis, Missouri during the 1860s.
Description
Samuel Copp Jr. was a partner in the banking and exchange business of Allen, Copp, & Nisbet of St. Louis, Missouri during the 1860s. This trade card advertises the businesses as being located on the North-West corner of Second and Chesnut streets, and participating in sight exchange, bank notes, gold & silver coins, stocks, bonds, and mercantile papers, loans, and collections.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
owner
Copp Family
ID Number
DL.006513.04
accession number
28810
catalog number
6513.04
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 19th century
ID Number
DL.71.0031
catalog number
71.0031
accession number
292235
This trade card advertised the real estate and mortgage company of John Brenton Copp located at 66 Broadway, New York.
Description
This trade card advertised the real estate and mortgage company of John Brenton Copp located at 66 Broadway, New York. John Brenton Copp donated the Copp Collection to the United States National Museum in 1893.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
user
Copp, John Brenton
owner
Copp Family
ID Number
DL.006513.05
accession number
28810
catalog number
6513.05
These business cards belonged to Samuel Copp (born 1787) who owned the wholesale and retail dry goods store Samuel Copp and Company located at 197 Broadway in New York City.
Description
These business cards belonged to Samuel Copp (born 1787) who owned the wholesale and retail dry goods store Samuel Copp and Company located at 197 Broadway in New York City. Samuel served in the war of 1812 and retired to Stonington, Connecticut around 1815.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1812-1815
user
Copp, Jr., Samuel
owner
Copp Family
ID Number
DL.006513.02
accession number
28810
catalog number
6513.02
These business cards belonged to Samuel Copp (born 1787) who owned the wholesale and retail dry goods store Samuel Copp and Company located at 197 Broadway in New York City.
Description
These business cards belonged to Samuel Copp (born 1787) who owned the wholesale and retail dry goods store Samuel Copp and Company located at 197 Broadway in New York City. Samuel served in the war of 1812 and retired to Stonington, Connecticut around 1815.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1812 - 1815
user
Copp, Jr., Samuel
owner
Copp Family
ID Number
DL.006513.01
accession number
28810
catalog number
6513.01
ID Number
DL.314637.0023
catalog number
314637.0023
accession number
314637
This is a trade card for the Washington Hotel at Ogdensburgh, New York.
Description
This is a trade card for the Washington Hotel at Ogdensburgh, New York. The card advertised Chris Brewster as the business’ owner, with free baggage handling to the hotel at its location on the corner of Washington & Catharine Streets.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
owner
Copp Family
ID Number
DL.006513.06
accession number
28810
catalog number
6513.06
This trade card for Philips & Holmes cloths, cassimere’s, and waistcoatings store in Liverpool, England belonged to a member of the Copp family of Stonington, Connecticut.
Description
This trade card for Philips & Holmes cloths, cassimere’s, and waistcoatings store in Liverpool, England belonged to a member of the Copp family of Stonington, Connecticut. The card is dated to around 1803, and may have been owned by Samuel Copp in his New York dry goods store, who did business with international traders.
The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1825
associated person
Copp, Jr., Samuel
owner
Copp Family
ID Number
DL.006513.03
accession number
28810
catalog number
6513.03
This is a copper pawnbroker’s sign, most likely hung outside a pawnshop in upstate New York during the Depression Era.
Description
This is a copper pawnbroker’s sign, most likely hung outside a pawnshop in upstate New York during the Depression Era. Pawning, or putting an item up as collateral for a short period of time, has been in practice since at least the 5th century in China, and gained popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages. Pawnshop owners during the Middle Ages began using this symbol, the three spheres, to designate the type of service they offered since around this same time. The three spheres most likely represent three (gold) coins, but spheres are more recognizable than flat objects when using them for signage. Immigrants arriving to the United States during the early years most likely brought and continued this tradition from Europe.
ID Number
2012.0156.01
accession number
2012.0156
catalog number
2012.0156.01
The sheet music for the song, “Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!” was arranged by Mr. Albert Leisure and published by the O. Armleder Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Description
The sheet music for the song, “Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!” was arranged by Mr. Albert Leisure and published by the O. Armleder Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. The sheet music served as advertising for the Armleder Company, a carriage and wagon manufacturing company, by changing the last line of the well known tune from “his truth is marching on,” to “the people know where to buy.” The image on the cover shows Uncle Sam filling orders to Armleder from all over the country and the world, while flabbergasted men representing Germany, England, and France look on.
Location
Currently not on view
arranger
Leisure, Albert
ID Number
1982.0005.11
accession number
1982.0005
catalog number
1982.0005.11

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