Advertising

Ivory Soap Ad

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.

Place: New Jersey

O.T.C. Trenton Crackers

Bobby pins in matchbook-style holder made of blue plastic. Orange print reads, "O.T.C. Trenton Crackers have no substitute."OTC® Oyster Crackers were introduced in Trenton, N.J., in 1847 by Adam Exton, an English immigrant.
Description (Brief)
Bobby pins in matchbook-style holder made of blue plastic. Orange print reads, "O.T.C. Trenton Crackers have no substitute."
OTC® Oyster Crackers were introduced in Trenton, N.J., in 1847 by Adam Exton, an English immigrant. Exton conceived the idea of baking a cracker to be used in oyster stews. In 1848, one year after the Exton crackers arrived on the Trenton scene, Ezekiel Pullen began baking an "Original Trenton Cracker" in the kitchen of his home. He sold his crackers from the back of his wagon as he made his way along Trenton streets. Both businesses grew as a craze for oysters developed in the 1860s and 1870s. OTC ® crackers became available from wooden barrels in neighborhood stores and in seafood restaurants. During the Civil War, the Exton company supplied its crackers to the Union army.
In 1887 Christopher Cartlidge bought the Pullen Cracker Company and renamed it Original Trenton Cracker Company. In 1962, after 115 years of rivalry, the Cartlidge family bought the Exton company, making it at last the one and only "Original Trenton Cracker." Specialty Brands of America has owned the OTC® brand since 1993.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1925
ID Number
2006.0098.0791
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0791

Celluloid Novelty

Rectangular plastic advertising card for Swift's Premium Ham and Bacon. Front has a color image of a blonde boy in chef's hat, "Swift's Little Cook." He is peeling paper away from the corner of a wrapped ham, revealing passage of government inspection. Reverse has Swift & Co.
Description (Brief)
Rectangular plastic advertising card for Swift's Premium Ham and Bacon. Front has a color image of a blonde boy in chef's hat, "Swift's Little Cook." He is peeling paper away from the corner of a wrapped ham, revealing passage of government inspection. Reverse has Swift & Co. logo in red and black and a calendar for 1914.
Description
One side of this celluloid card has a calendar for 1914, and an ad for Swift & Co. The other has an image of “Swift’s Little Cook” with a Swift’s Premium Ham and a Swift’s Premium Bacon.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914
advertiser
Swift and Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0578
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0578

L.S. Plaut & Co., "The Bee Hive"

Celluloid notebook advertising the L. S. Plaut & Company store, "The Beehive, the largest fancy goods store in the state," in red and blue print with an image of a beehive. An image of the Newark, N.J., store is on the back cover.
Description (Brief)
Celluloid notebook advertising the L. S. Plaut & Company store, "The Beehive, the largest fancy goods store in the state," in red and blue print with an image of a beehive. An image of the Newark, N.J., store is on the back cover. A calendar for the year 1890 and a list of goods for sale are on the inside page.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890
advertiser
L. S. Plaut & Company
maker
L. S. Plaut & Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0488
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0488

Cox Stadia Computer

Celluloid, circular slide rule for determining elevation measurements to be used with transit telescopes. It is a flat, square panel with dial attached over the center. An image of a telescope appears in black and white on the reverse. It is an advertisement for W. & L. E.
Description (Brief)
Celluloid, circular slide rule for determining elevation measurements to be used with transit telescopes. It is a flat, square panel with dial attached over the center. An image of a telescope appears in black and white on the reverse. It is an advertisement for W. & L. E. Gurley, "Makers of Civil Engineers and Surveyors Instruments," a company established in 1845.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1899
advertiser
W. & L. E. Gurley
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0524
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0524

Sherman Detective Agency letter opener

The “COMPLIMENTS OF SHERMAN DETECTIVE AGENCY / 16 STATE ST., BOSTON, MASS.” inscription on one side of this celluloid letter opener refers to a firm that was established by John Francis Sherman in Boston, in 1910, and that conducted industrial espionage and disrupted labor action
Description
The “COMPLIMENTS OF SHERMAN DETECTIVE AGENCY / 16 STATE ST., BOSTON, MASS.” inscription on one side of this celluloid letter opener refers to a firm that was established by John Francis Sherman in Boston, in 1910, and that conducted industrial espionage and disrupted labor actions.
Lewis L. Warren, A Few True Detective Stories That Are Interesting and Instructive (Boston, 1917). This was dedicated to John F. Sherman, General Manager of the Sherman Detective Agency.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1915
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1231
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.1231

Childs' Century Cocoa Tin

This red, rectangular tin with gold and black design was used to store and market Childs' Century Cocoa and Chocolate. The container no longer has a lid.Childs’ Century was a grocery chain that was started in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Description
This red, rectangular tin with gold and black design was used to store and market Childs' Century Cocoa and Chocolate. The container no longer has a lid.
Childs’ Century was a grocery chain that was started in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Around 1917, Childs’ Century became part of American Stores Company.
Chocolate had been known and treasured by Native Americans in Central and South America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the first Spanish explorers in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Cacao beans were so highly prized by Mayans and Aztecs that they were used as currency in many areas of the Americas. When first taken back to Europe by the Spanish, the chocolate drink continued to be produced exclusively for the enjoyment of royalty or the extremely wealthy. As the cacao bean gradually made its presence known throughout Europe, it still remained trapped in this exclusive section of society well into the 19th century.
The chocolate trade to North America began more than 300 years ago, primarily centered in or near major port cities of the time, such as New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Newport, RI. Due to lower transportation costs, chocolate was often less expensive in the Americas than in Europe and therefore had a broader consumer base. The Industrial Revolution radically changed chocolate production and helped propel it into the hearts and stomachs of the working class. Instead of being a labor intensive product, it became entirely machine made reducing costs even further in the late 19th and early 20th century. During this time, chocolate went from being something a person drank to being something to eat, finally becoming a treat for the masses.
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
1990.0018.119
catalog number
1990.0018.119
accession number
1990.0018

J.S. Silvers, Bro. & Co.

Blotter pad with celluloid cover. An advertisement for J. S. Silvers, Bro. & Company, the cover is attached via a metal button bearing the image of a running pig.
Description (Brief)
Blotter pad with celluloid cover. An advertisement for J. S. Silvers, Bro. & Company, the cover is attached via a metal button bearing the image of a running pig. The cover also shows images of pigs running from a barn, and a logo for "Lion Brand Flavoring Extracts."
The originator of the J. S. Silvers & Bro. Company was a man named J. V. Davison. He created the company, orginally called American Mills, in 1866.
The company roasted coffee, which was brought in green. The coffee was then packaged and labeled, and was sold under the names Middlesex #7 and White Diamond.
The company also packaged spices purchased from the American Can Company and bottles from Star Glass Works of Medford, N.J. Besides teas, coffees, spices, and extracts, the company mixed its own brand of mayonnaise and sold a complete line of groceries.
In December 1927, a fire destroyed the main building but the records were saved. The new building was constructed in Hightstown, N.J. making it easier to get to the railroads. Trucks were now making deliveries.
The company covered Monmouth, Mercer, and Middlesex counties and some South Jersey areas as well. When large grocery store chains began to open, the need for wholesale grocers declined. The company closed in 1935.
Location
Currently not on view
advertiser
J. S. Silvers, Bro. & Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0774
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0774

Ten Year Calendar, "Caught in the Act"

Calendar with celluloid front and paper back. The calendar contains a rotating disc visible through windows cut into the plastic. By rotating the dial, one can find dates for the years 1898-1912.
Description (Brief)
Calendar with celluloid front and paper back. The calendar contains a rotating disc visible through windows cut into the plastic. By rotating the dial, one can find dates for the years 1898-1912. An image of a young girl in bonnet holding trowel and flowers is opposite the calendar. Black print on reverse advertises "Superior Flower Seeds."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1898
advertiser
Mandeville & King
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0738
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0738

The Rebel

Flat, rectangular plastic card in white with red and blue print. On the front is an image of the Rebel, a red, silver, and blue train, and a calendar for 1935. On the reverse is a map of Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad's routes.
Description (Brief)
Flat, rectangular plastic card in white with red and blue print. On the front is an image of the Rebel, a red, silver, and blue train, and a calendar for 1935. On the reverse is a map of Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad's routes. Traffic offices include: Birmingham; Chicago; Detroit; Jackson, Mississippi; Jackson, Tennessee; Kansas City; Memphis; Meridian; Mobile; New Orleans; New York; Pittsburgh; and St. Louis.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1935
advertiser
Gulf, Mobile & Northern Railroad
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0616
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0616

Packer's Tar Soap

Flat rectangular card with black print. On one side is an image of a young girl washing a young boy's hair, which is covered in shampoo. A calendar for 1910 is on the reverse. A product description reads: "Pure as the pines.
Description (Brief)
Flat rectangular card with black print. On one side is an image of a young girl washing a young boy's hair, which is covered in shampoo. A calendar for 1910 is on the reverse. A product description reads: "Pure as the pines. Made from Pine-Tar, Glycerine and Sweet Vegetable Oils. Emollient--Healing--Antiseptic."
Description
One side of this celluloid card has a calendar for 1910 and an advertisement for “Packer’s Tar Soap.” The other has an image of a young girl washing a young boy’s hair with Packer’s Tar Soap.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1910
advertiser
H. H. Ala Bakhsh & Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0596
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0596

United War Work Campaign Pin

Straight pin-back United War Work Campaign pin. The pin is a flat red, white, and blue rectangle.
Description (Brief)
Straight pin-back United War Work Campaign pin. The pin is a flat red, white, and blue rectangle. White text in the red portion reads “I Gave For The Boys.” Blue text in the white portion reads “Did You?” White text in the blue portion reads “United War Work Campaign.”
The United War Work Campaign was a joint effort undertaken by seven voluntary organizations active during World War I: the National War Work Council of the YMCA, the War Work Council of the YWCA, the National Catholic War Council (Knights of Columbus), the Jewish Welfare Board, the War Camp Community Service, the American Library Association, and the Salvation Army. The aim of the campaign was for these seven organizations to raise at least $170,500,000 in subscriptions and pledges during the week of November 11–18, 1918, to help boost American soldiers’ morale and provide them with recreational activities.
Much like the use of military insignia to identify its wearer (by association with an organization) and his/her achievements, these pins and buttons were meant to be worn by Americans on the home front during World War I to show their membership in an organization and/or their contribution to a particular war effort, such as the United War Work Campaign. The pins and buttons displayed the wearer’s patriotism and generosity and undoubtedly also served to prompt others to become similarly involved in the various war efforts.
SOURCE:
“United War Work Campaign,” Committee on Public Information, Bulletin 42, 1918.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0261
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0261

Advertising notebook for health tonics

Plastic notebook with color advertisements on cover. One side has image of a bottle of "Tono Sumbol" and reverse has image of "Liquid Pancreopepsine.""Tono Sumbol", a patent medicine tonic and cordial, was a speciality of William R. Warner of Philadelphia, PA.
Description (Brief)
Plastic notebook with color advertisements on cover. One side has image of a bottle of "Tono Sumbol" and reverse has image of "Liquid Pancreopepsine."
"Tono Sumbol", a patent medicine tonic and cordial, was a speciality of William R. Warner of Philadelphia, PA. It's active ingredient was sumbol, a stimulant and tonic made from balsamic resin.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1895
advertiser
William R. Warner and Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0753
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0753

Stamp holder

Notebook with celluloid cover and wax pages. The front cover features an image of two birds perched atop a U.S. mailbox.
Description (Brief)
Notebook with celluloid cover and wax pages. The front cover features an image of two birds perched atop a U.S. mailbox. On the back, black print in cursive script reads "Compliments of Blake & Johnson, Waterbury, Conn." A calendar for 1904 occupies the first few pages.
Blake & Johnson Co. was founded in 1852 and produced machinery for working metals to be used to by manufacturers of jewelry, plated goods, silver goods, and flat wire.
Source: The Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut Volume 2 by Sarah Johnson Prichard and Anna Lydia Ward. Published by the Price and Lee Company, 1896.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1904
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1239
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.1239

Match Box Cover

A matchbox cover made of ivory-grained celluloid. The front is printed with the name of the organization, American Fund for French Wounded. The back has an image of the French and American flags.
Description (Brief)
A matchbox cover made of ivory-grained celluloid. The front is printed with the name of the organization, American Fund for French Wounded. The back has an image of the French and American flags. This is an advertising item for the organization's Chicago branch, located at 60 East Washington St. There is an empty matchbox inside the cover.
"The American Fund for French Wounded was founded by American women living abroad, to provide relief to small hospitals in France. The organization was initially established under the auspices of a British organization, the London Committee of the French Emergency Fund, but became independent in December 1915. Committees in eighty United States municipalities raised funds for the organization, which worked closely with several similar organizations, notably the American Committee for Devasated France and the American Red Cross. The Fund’s mission was to provide medical assistance for wounded French soldiers and civilians, and other forms of support for refugees."
Source: New York Public Library, http://www.nypl.org/sites/default/files/archivalcollections/pdf/amfundfrench.pdf
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1915
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1612
catalog number
2006.0098.1612
accession number
2006.0098

Trojan Brand Rubber Goods "Recommended For Protection To Health"

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930s
trademark registered (Crystoglas)
1912-12-10
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2004.0129.01
accession number
2004.0129
catalog number
2004.0129.01

Ruler

An advertising novelty for American Saw & Mfg. Co., maker of Lenox saws. The ruler is a twelve-inch folding ruler made of ivory-grained celluloid.
Description (Brief)
An advertising novelty for American Saw & Mfg. Co., maker of Lenox saws. The ruler is a twelve-inch folding ruler made of ivory-grained celluloid. It's marked in inches and centimeters.
Description
Folding 12-inch celluloid ruler marked in inches and centimeters, with inscriptions that read “AMERICAN SAW & MFG. CO. / SPRINGFIELD, MASS., U.S.A.” and “LENOX / HACK / SAWS.” Inscriptions on the back identify Lenox as “The Blade in the Plaid Box.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915-1930
maker
Whitehead and Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1700
catalog number
2006.0098.1700
accession number
2006.0098

Miller High Life

Pin-back celluloid button with image of Miller's "moon girl" logo.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Pin-back celluloid button with image of Miller's "moon girl" logo.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1912
advertiser
Miller Brewing Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0755
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0755

The Independent Order of Foresters blotter

A blotter pad with a celluloid cover. It is an advertising novelty for the Independent Order of Foresters. The organization's logo and motto are printed on the cover, with images depicting the I.O.F. Orphans Home in Oakville, Ontario, the I.O.F.
Description (Brief)
A blotter pad with a celluloid cover. It is an advertising novelty for the Independent Order of Foresters. The organization's logo and motto are printed on the cover, with images depicting the I.O.F. Orphans Home in Oakville, Ontario, the I.O.F. Tuberculosis and Cancer Sanatoria in Los Angeles County, the I.O.F. Temple Building in Toronto, Ontario, and the I.O.F. Aged Members Home Cottages in Los Angeles County Calif. The I.O.F. is a fraternal benefit society that celebrated its 135th year in 2009. It provides financial services and benefits to members in the United States and Canada.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1419
catalog number
2006.0098.1419
accession number
2006.0098

Celluloid Novelty

One side of this celluloid card has a calendar for 1935 and an advertisement for the Greenwich Savings Bank in New York. The other side has an image of Mr. Ernest Saver.Currently not on view
Description
One side of this celluloid card has a calendar for 1935 and an advertisement for the Greenwich Savings Bank in New York. The other side has an image of Mr. Ernest Saver.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1935
advertiser
Greenwich Savings Bank
maker
C. F. Herbstreith & Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0599
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0599

Cambio Palomba Mangiant Co.

Plastic sign with background image of ruins and a smoking volcano. In the foreground, an image of a red haired woman in a square frame is propped against an urn. The card is printed in black, with paper backing and a stand.
Description (Brief)
Plastic sign with background image of ruins and a smoking volcano. In the foreground, an image of a red haired woman in a square frame is propped against an urn. The card is printed in black, with paper backing and a stand. A white paper label is marked "Crystaloid." It was made for Cambio Palomba Mangiant Company, Furriers and Ladies Tailors.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1906
advertiser
Cambio Palomba Mangiant Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0747
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0747

Match Safe

Match safes were designed to hold friction matches. This one, made of metal and covered with celluloid, has an image of a nude woman on one side, and an advertisement for The Bar-Keeper’s Friend on the other.Currently not on view
Description
Match safes were designed to hold friction matches. This one, made of metal and covered with celluloid, has an image of a nude woman on one side, and an advertisement for The Bar-Keeper’s Friend on the other.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1906
advertiser
George Wm. Hoffman Company
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1025
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.1025

Yale and Holmes

Two sheets of celluloid fastened together over three rotating discs that display numbers.
Description (Brief)
Two sheets of celluloid fastened together over three rotating discs that display numbers. One disc displays in a window marked "Points," one in "Games" and the other in "Trumps." There is advertising on one side, and the other is printed with an image of a monkey with windows in its eyes and mouth. As the wheels turn, different styles of eyes and mouth appear on the monkey's face.
This advertising piece for Yale and Holmes Union Suits of Malden, Mass., features an image of a man wearing long underwear.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1905
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0644
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0644

"Chic" Helps and Hints (Chichester's English Pennyroyal Pills)

Promotional booklet with celluloid cover. Red, green, and black print on front. Color image of a woman's face and purple flowers. Black, red, and blue print on back cover. Image of a box of Pennyroyal Pills.
Description (Brief)
Promotional booklet with celluloid cover. Red, green, and black print on front. Color image of a woman's face and purple flowers. Black, red, and blue print on back cover. Image of a box of Pennyroyal Pills. Interior contents include calendars for the years 1904-1907; advertisements for Chichester products; beauty and health hints; legal maxims; states' nicknames; and more.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1904
advertiser
Chichester Chemical Co.
maker
Whitehead & Hoag Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0504
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0504

Notebook

Notebook with celluloid cover with leather borders and binding. An image of "Fred P. Currie's" hardware store in Atlantic City appears on the front. A calendar for 1891-1892 is on the back. The pages are paper.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Notebook with celluloid cover with leather borders and binding. An image of "Fred P. Currie's" hardware store in Atlantic City appears on the front. A calendar for 1891-1892 is on the back. The pages are paper.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1891
maker
Wm. Bertsch & Company
ID Number
2006.0098.1358
catalog number
2006.0098.1358
accession number
2006.0098

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