Ad*Access and The Emergence of Advertising in America

Ad*Access takes an historic look back at advertising that was shaped by—and helped shape—the first half of the 20th century in the United States. The sophisticated searchable database tracks down images and information on some 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers between 1911 and 1955. The ads come from five subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II. A timeline lists news and cultural events that provide context for the ads in the project. The advertisements are from 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.