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.

Date: 1910s

(Red Cross) Is You & I With Every (Heart) And (Dollar) Pin

Pin shaped like a flag. The flag is brown with white print and red symbols.
Description (Brief)
Pin shaped like a flag. The flag is brown with white print and red symbols. Symbols and text read “(Red Cross) Is You & I With Every (Heart) And (Dollar).”
The American Red Cross was one of the major organizations that conducted relief work during World War I.
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.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
maker
Manee Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0394
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0394

Campbell Kid

date made
1914
referenced
Campbell Soup Company
ID Number
DL.61.0505
catalog number
61.0505
accession number
67366
collector/donor number
38-L

2nd War Fund Button

Second Red Cross War Fund button. The button is a white circle with a dark blue border. A red cross is in the center of the button. Blue print reads “2nd War Fund.”The American Red Cross was one of the major organizations that conducted relief work during World War I.
Description (Brief)
Second Red Cross War Fund button. The button is a white circle with a dark blue border. A red cross is in the center of the button. Blue print reads “2nd War Fund.”
The American Red Cross was one of the major organizations that conducted relief work during World War I. The Second Red Cross War Drive occurred from May 20–May 27, 1918, in an effort to raise at least $100,000,000 for the support of the organization’s work.
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:
The Work of the American Red Cross During the War: A Statement of Finances and Accomplishments for the Period July 1, 1917, to February 28, 1919 (Washington, D.C.: American Red Cross, 1919), 16–19. archive.org/stream/cu31924027870777.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1918
ID Number
2006.0098.0307
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0307

Who's Absent? Is It You?

Who’s Absent? Is it You? British World War I poster for the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, 1915. Depicted is John Bull in a Union Flag waistcoat, pointing at the viewer in front of a line of British soldiers.Currently not on view
Description
Who’s Absent? Is it You? British World War I poster for the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, 1915. Depicted is John Bull in a Union Flag waistcoat, pointing at the viewer in front of a line of British soldiers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915
associated date
1917 - 1918
ID Number
AF.303736.22
accession number
303736
catalog number
77092M

Tobacco Tin

"Singing Waiter" roly poly retail tin for Mayo's Cut Plug Tobacco.
Description
"Singing Waiter" roly poly retail tin for Mayo's Cut Plug Tobacco. Chromolithographed, egg-shape cover and spherical container depict a man in evening dress holding a cigar in his right hand and singing a "Song" about "everybody's smoking"; a blue-and-yellow package of Mayo's tobacco is on his back. Concave bottom has a circular label that reads "THIS 'BROWNIE' TIN COMES IN DIFFERENT DESIGNS / GET A COLLECTION", followed by an affirmation of quality and "FACTORY N\o 42. 2d DISTRICT. OF VA / (caution not to resell) / PATENT APPLIED FOR".
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1912
ID Number
DL.257491.0001
catalog number
257491.0001
accession number
257491

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

One of the Thousand Y.M.C.A.Girls in France

One of the Thousand Y.M.C.A. Girls in France. American World War I poster by artist Neysa McMein for the Y.M.C.A. United War Work Campaign, 1918. Depicted is a Y.M.C.A. canteen worker in uniform holding a steaming cup in her right hand and a stack of books in her left hand.
Description
One of the Thousand Y.M.C.A. Girls in France. American World War I poster by artist Neysa McMein for the Y.M.C.A. United War Work Campaign, 1918. Depicted is a Y.M.C.A. canteen worker in uniform holding a steaming cup in her right hand and a stack of books in her left hand. Behind her is the red triange symbol of the YMCA.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1918
ID Number
1986.3051.04
catalog number
1986.3051.04
nonaccession number
1986.3051

Zeichnet 7. Kriegsanleihe

Zeichnet 7. Kriegsanleihe (Subscribe to the 7th War Loan). Austrian World War I poster by artist Alfred Offner for the Vienna Commercial Bank, 1917. Depicted are Austrian soldiers with guns drawn crouching behind a wall of gold Austrian coins.Currently not on view
Description
Zeichnet 7. Kriegsanleihe (Subscribe to the 7th War Loan). Austrian World War I poster by artist Alfred Offner for the Vienna Commercial Bank, 1917. Depicted are Austrian soldiers with guns drawn crouching behind a wall of gold Austrian coins.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917
associated date
1917 - 1918
ID Number
AF.308845 [dup2]
accession number
308845

I Own A Liberty Bond Button

Round Liberty Bond button. The button is white and blue with a red border. White print reads “I Own A Liberty Bond” next to an image of the Statue of Liberty.Liberty Loans were part of the U.S.
Description (Brief)
Round Liberty Bond button. The button is white and blue with a red border. White print reads “I Own A Liberty Bond” next to an image of the Statue of Liberty.
Liberty Loans were part of the U.S. government’s effort to sell war bonds (also known as Liberty Bonds) during World War I to defray the expense of war. These bonds were issued by the U.S. Treasury. The First Liberty Bond Act was passed by Congress on April 24, 1917, and the bonds began issuance shortly thereafter.
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:
Treasury Department, Liberty Loan Acts (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1921). books.google.com/books?id=4qFAAAAAYAAJ.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917-1918
ID Number
2006.0098.0310
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0310

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

Liberty Loan Pin

Round Liberty Loan pin with metal pin-back. The pin is blue with a white “V” in the center. White text reads “Liberty Loan.” A red, white, and blue plastic ribbon is attached to the pin. Blue text on the white portion reads “Volunteer.”Liberty Loans were part of the U.S.
Description (Brief)
Round Liberty Loan pin with metal pin-back. The pin is blue with a white “V” in the center. White text reads “Liberty Loan.” A red, white, and blue plastic ribbon is attached to the pin. Blue text on the white portion reads “Volunteer.”
Liberty Loans were part of the U.S. government’s effort to sell war bonds (also known as Liberty Bonds) during World War I to defray the expense of war. These bonds were issued by the U.S. Treasury. The First Liberty Bond Act was passed by Congress on April 24, 1917, and the bonds began issuance shortly thereafter.
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:
Treasury Department, Liberty Loan Acts (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1921). books.google.com/books?id=4qFAAAAAYAAJ.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917
maker
American Art Works
ID Number
2006.0098.0266
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0266

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

Devine's Cafe

A penwipe made of cream celluloid. It's a promotional piece advertising Devine's Cafe. On the back is a calendar.
Description (Brief)
A penwipe made of cream celluloid. It's a promotional piece advertising Devine's Cafe. On the back is a calendar. The penwipe looks like a modern book of matches, when you lift up the flap, you see the thick piece of red felt used to wipe off the tip of a fountain pen.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1912
maker
American Art Works
ID Number
2006.0098.1005
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.1005

Mirror with Celluloid Back

Circular hand mirror with an advertisement. on the back. for the Cruver Manufacturing Co., of Chicago.Currently not on view
Description
Circular hand mirror with an advertisement. on the back. for the Cruver Manufacturing Co., of Chicago.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Cruver Manufacturing Company
ID Number
CH.334567
accession number
310799
catalog number
334567

Turner (Spatula)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1910
ID Number
1987.0160.17
accession number
1987.0160
catalog number
1987.160.17

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

Graflex Cameras

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915-06
ID Number
2016.0066.406
accession number
2016.0066
catalog number
2016.0066.0406

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

Sousscrivez! Et Nous Aurens La Victoire

Sousscrivez! Et Nous Aurens La Victoire (Subscribe! And We Will Be Victorious). French World War I poster by artist Imre Karoly Simay for the National Loan, 1918. Depicted is a tank coming out of a trench and barbed wire on a battlefield.Currently not on view
Description
Sousscrivez! Et Nous Aurens La Victoire (Subscribe! And We Will Be Victorious). French World War I poster by artist Imre Karoly Simay for the National Loan, 1918. Depicted is a tank coming out of a trench and barbed wire on a battlefield.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
associated date
1917 - 1918
ID Number
AF.65963M
catalog number
65963M
accession number
232120

2nd War Fund Button

Straight pin-back Second Red Cross War Fund pin. The pin is a white rectangle with a blue border. A red cross is in the center of the pin. Blue print reads “2nd War Fund.”The American Red Cross was one of the major organizations that conducted relief work during World War I.
Description (Brief)
Straight pin-back Second Red Cross War Fund pin. The pin is a white rectangle with a blue border. A red cross is in the center of the pin. Blue print reads “2nd War Fund.”
The American Red Cross was one of the major organizations that conducted relief work during World War I. The Second Red Cross War Drive occurred from May 20–27, 1918, in an effort to raise at least $100,000,000 for the support of the organization’s work.
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:
The Work of the American Red Cross During the War: A Statement of Finances and Accomplishments for the Period July 1, 1917, to February 28, 1919 (Washington, D.C.: American Red Cross, 1919), 16–19. archive.org/stream/cu31924027870777.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
ID Number
2006.0098.0268
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0268

Hochschild, Kohn & Co.

Notebook ("shopping memorandum") with celluloid cover. An image of a telephone appears on front, and a calendar for the year 1915 on back.
Description (Brief)
Notebook ("shopping memorandum") with celluloid cover. An image of a telephone appears on front, and a calendar for the year 1915 on back. It is an advertising piece for Hochschild, Kohn & Company department store, which describes itself as "Baltimore's Best Store" and "The Telephone Store."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915
advertiser
Hochschild Kohn and Company
maker
J. B. Carroll
ID Number
2006.0098.0474
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0474

First National Bank of Nashville

Celluloid notebook with image of George Washington and the U.S. flag on front. This was an advertisement for First National Bank of Nashville, "The Oldest and Largest Bank in Washington County."Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Celluloid notebook with image of George Washington and the U.S. flag on front. This was an advertisement for First National Bank of Nashville, "The Oldest and Largest Bank in Washington County."
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1910
depicted
Washington, George
advertiser
First National Bank of Nashville
maker
American Art Works
ID Number
2006.0098.0479
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0479

United We Stand Button

Lapel pin in the shape of Uncle Sam’s top hat. The red and white striped portion of the hat says “United,” and the blue band says “We Stand” in white.James Montgomery Flagg popularized the image of Uncle Sam during World War I with his famous “I Want You For U.S.
Description (Brief)
Lapel pin in the shape of Uncle Sam’s top hat. The red and white striped portion of the hat says “United,” and the blue band says “We Stand” in white.
James Montgomery Flagg popularized the image of Uncle Sam during World War I with his famous “I Want You For U.S. Army” poster.
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:
“The Most Famous Poster,” American Treasures of the Library of Congress, loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm015.html.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917-1918
maker
George Borgfeldt & Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0314
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0314

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