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 1364 items.
Page 3 of 137
[Native American smoking Prince Albert tobacco : advertisement, proof.] 1915
- Summary
- Prince Albert advertisment depicting a Native American smoking Prince Albert tobacco. Caption: "The braves who have gone to the Happy Hunting Grounds haven't anything on the wisenheimers of this world who are next to the joys of smoking Prince Albert. Get your heavenly smoke NOW. The bite is taken out by a patented process."
- Date
- 1915
- advertiser
- R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
- Local number
- 040059104.tif (AC Scan No.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Ask for the "American Enterprise" [trade card]
- Summary
- Trade card shaped as fan. Two Chinese men in tan/white and blue designed robes face each other, talking, holding hands. Background is yellow, red and blue. Back has red text advertising Althrop's Constitutional Tonic
- Date
- 1878
- 19th century
- advertiser
- Wemple & Kronheim
- Creator
- Funk & Lackey
- Local number
- AC0060-0000175 (AC Scan No.)
- AC0060-0000176 (AC Scan No.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
From the Far Corners of the Earth [catalogue]
- Summary
- Black, red, white, grey coloring. Various peoples of the world gathered in triangular shape, all behind Chinese man holding pole over shoulders. In background is giant telephone, globe
- Date
- 1935
- advertiser
- Western Electric Company
- Local number
- AC0060-0000186 (AC Scan No.)
- 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
How much beauty in beauty promises? : [color advertisement]
- Notes
- In Box 15, Folder (1934)
- Summary
- Color advertisement (reproduction of three photographs) of the Gibson family advertising Ivory Soap; photographer unidentified
- Cite as
- Ivory Soap Advertising Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1934
- advertiser
- Procter & Gamble Company
- Local number
- 0307910206.tif (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Where do pretty models come from? [color advertisement]
- Notes
- In Box 19, Folder (1945)
- Summary
- Color advertisement for Ivory Soap with reproduction of photograph and drawings of June Cox; photographer unidentified
- Cite as
- Ivory Soap Advertising Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
- Date
- 1945
- 1940-1950
- advertiser
- Procter & Gamble Company
- Subject
- Cox, June, 1919-
- Local number
- 0307910311.tif (AC Scan)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
Proprietary Articles / Laboratory of Chemistry / Stevens Institute of Technology. [Print advertising.] The Century Magazine. 1883
- Summary
- Text only: Stevens Institute of Technology testimonial
- Date
- 1883
- donor
- Procter & Gamble Company
- author
- Leeds, Albert Ripley 1843-1902
- Creator
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Local number
- Ivorydata4 37
- 0207910027 (Scan No.)
- Data Source
- Archives Center - NMAH
[Aeriola Jr. radio receiver, advertisement]
- Summary
- Radio made by Westinghouse
- Cite as
- George H. Clark Radioana Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
- Date
- 1915
- 1920
- Circa 1920
- 1920-1930
- advertiser
- Radio Corporation of America
- Subject
- Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company
- Radio Corporation of America
- Local number
- AC0055-0000003.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
