Advertising Ephemera collection, 1850s-1980s

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Summary

Creator:
Advertising Ephemera. Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Abstract:
The Advertising Ephemera Collection is composed of single advertisements, product and trade catalogs, advertising pamphlets, and broadsides. The advertisements are primarily American and from the late 19th and early to mid 20th century.
Extent:
35 Linear Feet
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00014

Background

Scope and content:

The Advertising Ephemera Collection is composed of single advertisements, product and trade catalogs, advertising pamphlets, and broadsides. The advertisements are primarily American and from the late 19th and early to mid 20th century. The collection is divided into broad subject categories, based on the primary type of product or service being advertised, which are arranged in alphabetical order. Within each subject category material is divided based upon the form of the material; leaflets, letters, and sheets printed on both sides; trade cards (mechanical, metamorphic, see-thru, shape, fabric inserts, unusual feature, postcards and insert cards); booklets; special categories; and miscellaneous. A subseries of foreign advertising material consists predominately of travel related literature and is arrange alphabetically by country. The arrangement of oversize materials parallels the original arrangement.

The researcher should note that trade catalogs that are pamphlets may be found in several places in the Perkins Library: this collections; individually in the stacks as fully cataloged items; or as part of groups of old pamphlets for which the cataloging was by main entry only. Advertising broadsides may also be found in the Broadsides Collection and many collections of manuscripts also contain advertising materials.

Some useful reference sources for gathering further information on this type of material include:

Romaine, Lawrence B., "A Guide to American Trade Catalogs," 1944-1900 (New York, 1960).

Hammond, Dorothy, "Advertising Collectibles of Times Past," (Des Moines, Iowa, 1974).

Kaduck, John M., "Advertising Trade Cards," (Des Moines, Iowa, 1976).

McQuarry, Jim, "Collectors Guide to Advertising Cards," (Gas City, Indiana, 1975).

Additions to the collection have not been processed and therefore to do reflect the arrangement of the rest of the collection. Please refer to the detailed description below for more information about their content.

Acquisition information:
Items were purchased by or transferred to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library in the 1970s, and 1990-2023.
Processing information:

Processed by Ginny Daley and Sarah Hamilton

Completed September 29, 1998

Encoded by Don Sechler

Updated by Meghan Lyon, December 2008

Updated to include accession 2014-0175 by Alice Poffinberger, October 2014

Updated to include accession 8/2014 by Alice Poffinberger, December 2014

Updated to include accession 2016-0258 by Katrina Martin, September 2016

Updated to include accession 2023-0008 by Tracy M. Jackson, January 2023.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

This collection is currently being reprocessed to improve description and is unavailable until approximately August 2024. For more information, please contact the Rubenstein Library.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Advertising Ephemera Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.