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.

Flat, rectangular card advertising the Nicholson File Company of Providence, R.I. It has a red front with green border and an image of a nail file with a product box. The reverse is white with red and black print, and has a calendar for 1937.
Description (Brief)
Flat, rectangular card advertising the Nicholson File Company of Providence, R.I. It has a red front with green border and an image of a nail file with a product box. The reverse is white with red and black print, and has a calendar for 1937. This was likely an ad for a French-speaking country, as the front reads, "La Lime Qui Dure" and "Une Lime Appropriée Pour Tout Travail" meaning "The File that Lasts" and "A File Suited for All Work."
Description
One side of this celluloid card has a calendar for 1937 and an advertisement for the Nicholson File Company in Providence, R.I. The other side has an image of a Nicholson file, “La Lime Qui Dure.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1937
maker
Nicholson File Company
ID Number
2006.0098.0598
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0598
This brightly colored pamphlet titled "Mrs. Cinderella" is a program that accompanied a puppet show performed at the General Electric display building at the 1939 World's Fair In New York.
Description (Brief)
This brightly colored pamphlet titled "Mrs. Cinderella" is a program that accompanied a puppet show performed at the General Electric display building at the 1939 World's Fair In New York. (See 1979.1164.05)
The Tatterman Marionette Company, led by led by William Duncan and Ed Mable, entertained at the 1939 World's Fair and toured the country and performed this show hundreds of time to promote the wonders of electricity.
The book follows Cinderella and Prince Charming after they are happily married but living in a drafty, old castle inhabited by little elves who interfere with her daily chores and make her life miserable. Her fairy godmother appears and insists Cinderella call G-E 1939.
In a flash the castle is overrun with good little elves who get rid of the evil gnomes and install all new updated GE appliances that will make her life easier, including a new stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, mixer toaster, washing machine, hot water heater and a vacuum. The moral of the story being that GE products can make your life easier and give the housewife "added hours of freedom" to make a happy home. This is a wonderful example of early advertising using puppets as the media.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939
depicted
CInderella
ID Number
2013.3001.039
nonaccession number
2013.3001
catalog number
2013.3001.039
An oval pocket mirror, made of printed celluloid over tin. It advertises photographer J. Adamoff of Passaic, N.J., and it features a portrait of a smiling young man in a tuxedo.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
An oval pocket mirror, made of printed celluloid over tin. It advertises photographer J. Adamoff of Passaic, N.J., and it features a portrait of a smiling young man in a tuxedo.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1920-1930
ID Number
2006.0098.0906
accession number
2006.0098
catalog number
2006.0098.0906
During World War II, the United States government recognized that full public support and dedication to the war effort was essential to victory.
Description
During World War II, the United States government recognized that full public support and dedication to the war effort was essential to victory. To bolster support, the government hired artists to create propaganda posters, designed to promote patriotism with simple, catchy slogans and colorful images. Toiling factory workers, thrifty home front mothers, and fearless soldiers were among the most popular images used by artists to communicate the message.
This 1942 poster commissioned by the War Shipping Administration encouraged a specific mission, designed to attract former seamen back into the Merchant Marine. At the time, American shipyards were producing cargo ships faster than crews could be assembled, forcing recruiters to rely not only on new volunteers, but also to persuade experienced mariners to leave retirement and go back to sea.
The creation of incentive posters mainly fell under the watch of the Office of War Information, a government agency created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in June 1942 to consolidate public information services and coordinate the sanctioned release of war news. The OWI reviewed and approved the content of newsreels, radio broadcasts, and billboards, in addition to producing hundreds of posters. Initially, the most pressing message to be communicated through posters was a warning to Americans about the dangers of discussing sensitive information like production schedules and troop movements that could be overheard by enemy spies. Over the course of the war, posters covered a variety of topics, such as encouraging the purchase of war bonds and galvanizing the work force at shipyards to keep production going on the assembly line.
date made
1942
commissioned poster
War Shipping Administration
directed poster program
United States. Office of War Information
Associated Name
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
ID Number
1991.0856.07
catalog number
1991.0856.07
accession number
1991.0856
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
Carbro color print, matted; Cheese and crackers with knife. Signed and dated on mat, pencil. Verso: handwritten "McCall's Cheese." This color photograph was used for the women's homemaking magazine, McCall's.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Carbro color print, matted; Cheese and crackers with knife. Signed and dated on mat, pencil. Verso: handwritten "McCall's Cheese." This color photograph was used for the women's homemaking magazine, McCall's.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1936
maker
Outerbridge, Jr., Paul
ID Number
PG.006063
catalog number
6063
accession number
223759
catalog number
6063
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930s
maker
Keppler, Victor
ID Number
PG.006261.S
accession number
238737
catalog number
6261S
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1930
advertiser
Eastman Kodak Company
ID Number
2016.0066.362
accession number
2016.0066
catalog number
2016.0066.0362
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1931-12
advertiser
Eastman Kodak Company
maker
Eastman Kodak Company
ID Number
2016.0066.404
accession number
2016.0066
catalog number
2016.0066.0404
This mahogany-stained cabinet was designed to be extremely discreet. When the cabinet doors are closed, there is no indication of the products which the cabinet holds.During the 1930s, cabinets like these would have been used in drugstores which sold condoms.
Description
This mahogany-stained cabinet was designed to be extremely discreet. When the cabinet doors are closed, there is no indication of the products which the cabinet holds.
During the 1930s, cabinets like these would have been used in drugstores which sold condoms. This cabinet held condoms specifically manufactured by Julius Schmid, Inc. of New York, New York. The cabinet dates to around 1931.
Behind the cabinet's double doors are five dispensing trays and a shelf at the top. The top shelf would have held tins of Sheik brand condoms, one of the most common brands Schmid manufactured. Small side shelves would have held condom tins for Fourex and Ramses, two other brands Schmid manufactured. Condom tins like these typically held three condoms. The center shelf would have contained larger boxes which held a dozen condoms.
In 1872, the Comstock Act had prohibited interstate commerce in obscene literature and immoral material. Condoms and other forms of birth control fell under the category of “immoral material.” As forbidden material, condoms were rarely advertised openly. However, during the early twentieth century, rising concerns about gonorrhea and syphilis led a growing number of public health advocates to call for condoms to be sold to prevent disease. In 1918, a court case in New York, (The People of the State of New York v Margaret H. Sanger) clarified that existing penal codes allowed physicians to prescribe condoms to prevent disease. Named after Judge Frederick Crane who wrote the opinion in the case, the Crane decision opened the door for condom manufacturers to openly advertise and sell condoms, provided they were sold as a disease preventative.
Throughout most of the twentieth century, Julius Schmid, Inc. dominated the condom market. An immigrant from Germany, Schmid was one of the first American manufacturers to use “cold-cure cement” technique to make condoms. Workers at his factory dipped a glass mold into liquified rubber to create a sheath. The sheath was then vulcanized or hardened at a high temperature, enabling it to retain its shape.
Schmid’s condoms were not only standardized, they were also tested to ensure that they had no tears or holes. While cheap untested condoms were often sold on the street, Schmid made a point to sell his more expensive condoms in drug stores, a tactic which underscored his claim that his condoms were sold “only for protection against disease.” Aggressive marketing, combined with Schmid’s ability to move quickly when laws regulating condom manufacturing and distribution changed, were central to the company’s success.
Schmid was well known for the reliability of its products, and the company exclusively supplied pharmacists with tested and dependable condoms. This allowed pharmacists to sell higher-quality condoms at a significant markup.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
after 1931
ca 1930s
advertiser
Julius Schmid, Inc.
maker
Julius Schmid, Inc.
ID Number
1989.0416.007
catalog number
1989.0416.007
accession number
1989.0416
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1942 - 1945
ID Number
1987.0213.146
accession number
1987.0213
catalog number
1987.0213.146
Store advertisement for Superman Bread. This poster was used by various bakeries to sell the licensed product and invite membership into the "Superman Junior Defense League" a World War 2 era promotional program.
Description (Brief)
Store advertisement for Superman Bread. This poster was used by various bakeries to sell the licensed product and invite membership into the "Superman Junior Defense League" a World War 2 era promotional program. Children were offered membership in the League by collecting cards found in bread packages, as well as getting confirmation that they had gotten adults to try the product.
The character of Superman first flew into action in 1938. The costumed superhero was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland Ohio, who used, among other things, Classical mythology, philosopher Fredrich Nietzche's concept of the "uber mensch," and the era's popular science fiction and adventure writing, for inspiration.
With his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman became an instant sensation with audiences, inspired by the "Man of Tomorrow's" virtue and heroics at time when the Nation was slowly emerging from the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression and moving closer to World War.
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Superman was sent to Earth as a child, where our world's yellow sun granted him extraordinary powers such as flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, as well as other extraordinary abilities including heat and X-Ray vision. As an adult living in the city of Metropolis, the alien, born Kal-El, protects his identity by assuming the persona of Clark Kent, a "mild-mannered" journalist.
Fighting for "Truth and Justice," Superman birthed a cultural fascination with superheroes, and has become one of the most recognizable and influential fictional characters in history. In addition to comic books, the character has been explored in all forms of media, including radio, television, and film, and has been used to promote a variety of successful consumer products, educational initiatives and public service campaigns.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1940
ID Number
1987.0213.043
accession number
1987.0213
catalog number
1987.0213.043
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1932
associated institution
General Mills, Inc.
ID Number
1983.0711.24
accession number
1983.0711
catalog number
1983.0711.24
Unmarked store poster featuring Superman. This poster was used by various bakeries to sell licensed Superman bread and invite membership in the "Superman Junior Defense League," a World War 2 era promotional program.
Description (Brief)
Unmarked store poster featuring Superman. This poster was used by various bakeries to sell licensed Superman bread and invite membership in the "Superman Junior Defense League," a World War 2 era promotional program. Children were offered membership in the League by collecting cards found in bread packages, as well as getting confirmation that they had gotten adults to try the product.
The character of Superman first flew into action in 1938. The costumed superhero was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland Ohio, who used, among other things, Classical mythology, philosopher Fredrich Nietzche's concept of the "uber mensch," and the era's popular science fiction and adventure writing, for inspiration.
With his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman became an instant sensation with audiences, inspired by the "Man of Tomorrow's" virtue and heroics at time when the Nation was slowly emerging from the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression and moving closer to World War.
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Superman was sent to Earth as a child, where our world's yellow sun granted him extraordinary powers such as flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, as well as other extraordinary abilities including heat and X-Ray vision. As an adult living in the city of Metropolis, the alien, born Kal-El, protects his identity by assuming the persona of Clark Kent, a "mild-mannered" journalist.
Fighting for "Truth and Justice," Superman birthed a cultural fascination with superheroes, and has become one of the most recognizable and influential fictional characters in history. In addition to comic books, the character has been explored in all forms of media, including radio, television, and film, and has been used to promote a variety of successful consumer products, educational initiatives and public service campaigns.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1942
ID Number
1987.0213.042
accession number
1987.0213
catalog number
1987.0213.042
Dissection puzzles in the form of letters of the alphabet have been distributed from at least the early twentieth century. The four orange pieces of this cardboard puzzle can be arranged to form a letter T. The fit in a paper envelope.
Description
Dissection puzzles in the form of letters of the alphabet have been distributed from at least the early twentieth century. The four orange pieces of this cardboard puzzle can be arranged to form a letter T. The fit in a paper envelope. A mark on the envelope reads: An Intelligence Test! (/) JIG-A-TEE PUZZLE. It also reads: MERCHANTS TRANSFER (/) AND STORAGE CO. (/) 920 E Street Northwest (/) National 6900.
The puzzle advertises Merchants Transfer and Storage Company of Washington, D.C. The company moved to the address given in 1902. The puzzle lists a National 6900 phone number. This number could have been in use in the 1930s.
Compare MA.314637.2613.
References:
Jerry Slocum and Jack Botermans, Puzzles Old & New: How to Make and Solve Them, Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1986, pp. 20-21.
“The T Puzzle,” en.wikipedia.org, accessed July 19, 2017.
Washington, D.C. city directories.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
ID Number
MA.335285
catalog number
335285
accession number
314637
This application for the "Junior Defense League of America" is part of a 1941-era promotion for "Superman Bread." Children could join the "Superman Junior Defense League," where they would receive a membership card and be eligible for special offers and premiums.The character of
Description (Brief)
This application for the "Junior Defense League of America" is part of a 1941-era promotion for "Superman Bread." Children could join the "Superman Junior Defense League," where they would receive a membership card and be eligible for special offers and premiums.
The character of Superman first flew into action in 1938. The costumed superhero was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland Ohio, who used, among other things, Classical mythology, philosopher Fredrich Nietzche's concept of the "uber mensch," and the era's popular science fiction and adventure writing, for inspiration.
With his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman became an instant sensation with audiences, inspired by the "Man of Tomorrow's" virtue and heroics at time when the Nation was slowly emerging from the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression and moving closer to World War.
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Superman was sent to Earth as a child, where our world's yellow sun granted him extraordinary powers such as flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, as well as other extraordinary abilities including heat and X-Ray vision. As an adult living in the city of Metropolis, the alien, born Kal-El, protects his identity by assuming the persona of Clark Kent, a "mild-mannered" journalist.
Fighting for "Truth and Justice," Superman birthed a cultural fascination with superheroes, and has become one of the most recognizable and influential fictional characters in history. In addition to comic books, the character has been explored in all forms of media, including radio, television, and film, and has been used to promote a variety of successful consumer products, educational initiatives and public service campaigns.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1942 - 1945
maker
Superman Junior Defense League of America
ID Number
1987.0213.147
accession number
1987.0213
catalog number
1987.0213.147
Normand's Bread cellophane wrapper featuring an image of Superman. A card is included, offering membership in the "Superman Junior Defense League," a World War 2 era promotional program.
Description (Brief)
Normand's Bread cellophane wrapper featuring an image of Superman. A card is included, offering membership in the "Superman Junior Defense League," a World War 2 era promotional program. Normand's was one brand that participated in the promotion, where children were offered membership by collecting cards found in bread packages, as well as getting confirmation that they had gotten adults to try the product.
The character of Superman first flew into action in 1938. The costumed superhero was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland Ohio, who used, among other things, Classical mythology, philosopher Fredrich Nietzche's concept of the "uber mensch," and the era's popular science fiction and adventure writing, for inspiration.
With his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman became an instant sensation with audiences, inspired by the "Man of Tomorrow's" virtue and heroics at time when the Nation was slowly emerging from the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression and moving closer to World War.
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Superman was sent to Earth as a child, where our world's yellow sun granted him extraordinary powers such as flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, as well as other extraordinary abilities including heat and X-Ray vision. As an adult living in the city of Metropolis, the alien, born Kal-El, protects his identity by assuming the persona of Clark Kent, a "mild-mannered" journalist.
Fighting for "Truth and Justice," Superman birthed a cultural fascination with superheroes, and has become one of the most recognizable and influential fictional characters in history. In addition to comic books, the character has been explored in all forms of media, including radio, television, and film, and has been used to promote a variety of successful consumer products, educational initiatives and public service campaigns.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1942
maker
Normand
Normand
ID Number
1987.0213.041
accession number
1987.0213
catalog number
1987.0213.041
Souvenir pin commemorating the New York World's Fair (1939-1940.) The pin features the Westinghouse Electric Company's robotic mascot "Elektro."Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Souvenir pin commemorating the New York World's Fair (1939-1940.) The pin features the Westinghouse Electric Company's robotic mascot "Elektro."
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1939
Associated Date
1940
1939
ID Number
1989.0438.1482A
catalog number
1989.0438.1482A
accession number
1989.0438
Movie poster for the 1934 film Little Miss Marker from the Palace Theatre in Port Richmond.
Description
Movie poster for the 1934 film Little Miss Marker from the Palace Theatre in Port Richmond. Shirley Temple, Adolphe Menjou, and Dorothy Dell star in this family comedy.
Movie posters such as this cardboard poster were placed in shop windows to advertise the movie that was playing in the local movie house. The shop owner was given two movie passes for displaying it in their store window.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1933
referenced
Temple, Shirley
ID Number
1985.0541.01
accession number
1985.0541
catalog number
1985.0541.01
This trading card is part of a 1941-era promotion for "Superman Bread." The card would be found in a bread package or at a participating grocery store.
Description (Brief)
This trading card is part of a 1941-era promotion for "Superman Bread." The card would be found in a bread package or at a participating grocery store. By sending away 8 proof-of-purchase coupons children could join the "Superman Junior Defense League," where they would receive a membership card and be eligible for special offers and premiums.
The card, number 13 in the series, is titled "Superman Averts Navy Sabotage."
The character of Superman first flew into action in 1938. The costumed superhero was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland Ohio, who used, among other things, Classical mythology, philosopher Fredrich Nietzche's concept of the "uber mensch," and the era's popular science fiction and adventure writing, for inspiration.
With his debut in Action Comics #1, Superman became an instant sensation with audiences, inspired by the "Man of Tomorrow's" virtue and heroics at time when the Nation was slowly emerging from the economic catastrophe of the Great Depression and moving closer to World War.
Born on the doomed planet Krypton, Superman was sent to Earth as a child, where our world's yellow sun granted him extraordinary powers such as flight, super-strength, near-invulnerability, as well as other extraordinary abilities including heat and X-Ray vision. As an adult living in the city of Metropolis, the alien, born Kal-El, protects his identity by assuming the persona of Clark Kent, a "mild-mannered" journalist.
Fighting for "Truth and Justice," Superman birthed a cultural fascination with superheroes, and has become one of the most recognizable and influential fictional characters in history. In addition to comic books, the character has been explored in all forms of media, including radio, television, and film, and has been used to promote a variety of successful consumer products, educational initiatives and public service campaigns.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1942 - 1945
publisher
Superman Junior Defense League of America
maker
Superman Junior Defense League of America
ID Number
1987.0213.148
accession number
1987.0213
catalog number
1987.0213.148
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1939
1937
maker
Keppler, Victor
ID Number
PG.006263.X
catalog number
6263X
accession number
238737
A Nicholas Muray 3-color carbro photograph ca. 1934. Cast of "Dinner at Eight" in a Coca Cola advertisment.
Description
A Nicholas Muray 3-color carbro photograph ca. 1934. Cast of "Dinner at Eight" in a Coca Cola advertisment. The screen stars in the photograph are as follows: Lionel Barrymore, Billie Burke, George Cukor, Marie Dressler, Madge Evans, Phillips Holmes, Grant Mitchell, Karen Marley, May Robinson, Louis Classer Hale, Jean Harlow and Edmund Loewe.
Mount Recto: Signed and dated by the artisit (pencil).
Mount Verso: "Dinner at Eight" (pencil). "98" (pencil). Muray stamp.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca 1934
depicted
Cukor, George
Barrymore, Lionel
Harlow, Jean
Coca-Cola Company
maker
Muray, Nickolas
ID Number
PG.69.247.01
accession number
287542
catalog number
69.247.1
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
before 1937
maker
Keppler, Victor
ID Number
PG.006263.K
catalog number
6263K
accession number
238737
Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930s
maker
Keppler, Victor
ID Number
PG.006263.Q
catalog number
6263Q
accession number
238737

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