Ad-specific Databases
Presents images and database information for over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Concentrates on five main subject areas: radio, television, transportation, beauty and hygiene, and World War II, providing a view of a number of major campaigns and companies through images preserved in the J. Walter Thompson Company Competitive Advertisements Collection of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History in Duke University’s Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Over 100,000 vintage printed ads from 1800 to 2000, organized by subject. Reproductions available for a fee.
Magazines with Advertisements
- Women's Magazine ArchiveA searchable archive of leading women's interest magazines, dating from the 19th century through to the 21st. Subject coverage includes consumer culture, economics/marketing, family life, fashion, gender studies, health and fitness, home/interior design, popular culture, and social history.
- The Vogue ArchiveA complete searchable archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month, reproduced in high-resolution color page images. Every page, advertisement, cover and fold-out has been included, with rich indexing enabling you to find images by garment type, designer and brand names. The Vogue Archive preserves the work of the world's greatest fashion designers, stylists and photographers and is a unique record of American and international fashion, culture and society from the dawn of the modern era to the present day.
- Life Magazine ArchiveA full-color online archive of Life Magazine hosted by Google Books. Be sure to click the "Search All Issues" box! Access to articles and images from Life Magazine Archive. Contains publications from 1936-2000.
Advertising Archives
The Advertising Archives is the largest and most comprehensive resource of its kind in Europe and includes 50,000 searchable online ads. You must register independently to see enlarged images. Collection highlights include:
Press Advertising:
British and American press advertisements from 1850 to the present day including iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, Heinz, Kellogg’s, Ford etc. and ads designed by artists such as Warhol, Bateman and Mucha.
TV Advertising:
British TV stills dating from the very first transmitted advert to the latest campaigns.
Magazine Covers:
Magazines and magazine cover artwork – a vast collection of Saturday Evening Post, John Bull, New Yorker, Life, Picture Post, Vogue, Country Life, Ideal Home, Glamour and many more titles including covers illustrated by artists such as Rockwell and Leyendecker.
Cinema:
Thousands of cinema posters.
Ephemera:
Postcards, posters, cigarette cards, labels, catalogues, menus, scrap books and more.
Comics and Children's Annuals:
Hundreds of old favourites including TV programmes, cartoon characters and superheroes.