A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Advertising Industry forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents note:
This subject category- Advertising Industry consists primarily of printed advertisements, cut books, correspondence on letterhead, bills and receipts, pamphlets, booklets, notices, articles, stock cuts, illustrations for advertisers, periodicals, registers, directories, streetcar advertisements, price lists for advertising space in newspapers, and books. Most of the material is from advertisers and advertising agencies. The bulk of the material dates from the latter part of the nineteenth century and early part of the twentieth century with materials created both in the United States and in foreign countries.
There is a significant amount of material from companies that manufactured and sold supplies for advertising agencies. Such supplies include signs, bill posters, printing plates, and advertising cards. A large majority of these companies supplied businesses with advertising cuts used for folders, inserts, blotters, envelopes, booklets, programs, labels, bags, calendars, letterhead, and newspaper and magazine advertisements. Such cuts could be ordered by selecting the number and requesting one or two colors.
Other businesses offered services for companies wishing to advertise. These services include instructions for writing advertisements, facilities for producing copies, designs, engraving, and printing, along with the production and maintenance of the work supplied.
There are a number of items, primarily receipts and correspondence on letterhead, from organizations for the advertising industry. Such organizations include the Advertising Federation of America, American Press Association, Associated Advertising Clubs of America, Outdoor Advertising Association, Old National Distributing Association, Association of National Advertisers, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
Among the publications in the materials are directories, registers, and supplements for advertisers. These materials date from 1913-1948 and include information such as listings of national and local advertising agencies, with their branches, personnel, recognition and memberships in organizations, and a listing of their accounts. There are also a number of publications which discus the general history of advertising. The bulk of the publications, however, are periodicals that relate to the advertising industry and date from 1866-1940.
Arrangement note:
This subject is arranged into four series.
Advertisers and Advertising Agencies
Manufacturers and Distributors of Supplies for Advertisers
Periodicals and Publications
General Advertisements and Proofs
Materials in the Archives Center:
Archives Center Collection of Business Americana (AC0404)
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Advertising Industry is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form:
Ephemera
Business ephemera
Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Advertising Industry, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
