The Duke University Libraries has an extensive physical and online collection of advertisements that appeared in magazines and newspapers in the U.S. and Canada from 1911-1955. The Ad*Access collection focuses on advertisements in five main subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II. Visitors should read the "About Us" section to learn about why the...

The AdViews section of the Internet Archive site contains thousands of vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s. These items of commercial ephemera were created or collected by the ad agency Benton & Bowles or its successor, D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B). The commercials are currently found at the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History in...

The History of Advertising Trust (HAT), founded in the UK in 1974, seeks to preserve and study the rich history of advertising. Readers will find the fruits of this labor on the organization's website, where they may like to begin by scouting The Ads, an online gallery featuring hundreds of ads in the categories of Food & Drink, Confectionery, Alcohol, and many others. Educators may also find the...

Outdoor advertising in the United States has been going on for well over 300 years, and one can find curious and compelling examples on just about any roadway or other venue. This remarkable digital collection from the Duke University Libraries brings together over 10,000 images from the R.C. Maxwell Company. Started in 1894, the company was in business until 2000, when it was sold. During its...