Major Research Tools

J. Walter Thompson: Advertising America

Full-Text
Coverage: 1887-c. 2000

Collection of ads, artwork, research, reports, publications, and business records from the archives of the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency.


ProQuest Historical U.S. Newspapers

Full-Text

Cover-to-cover, full image backfiles of the New York Times (1851-2019), Chicago Tribune (1849-1998), Los Angeles Times (1881-1999), Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-2001), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1786-2003), Wall Street Journal (1889-2011), and Washington Post (1877-2006).


Women's Magazine Archive

Full-Text
Coverage: 1885-2005

Archive containing cover-to-cover, color issues of 11 of the leading women's interest magazines from the 19th century through the 21st: Better Homes and Gardens, Chatelaine, Cosmopolitan, Essence, Good Housekeeping, Ladies' Home Journal, Parents, Redbook, Seventeen, WIN News, and Women's Day.


Other Suggested Research Tools

Ad*Access

Visual Resource

Collection of over 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers and magazines between 1911 and 1955. Focus is on radio, television, transportation, beauty and hygiene, and World War II. See Emergence of Advertising in America for advertisements from 1850-1920.


American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals

Full-Text

Provides digital access to a highly comprehensive collection of American periodicals published between 1691 and 1912. Subject coverage includes: advertising, health, women's issues, science, the history of slavery, industry and professions, religious issues, culture and the arts, and more. Produced by a partnership between EBSCO and the American Antiquarian Society (AAS).


Ebony Magazine Archive

Full-Text
1945-2014

Digitized full-text archive of Ebony, the seminal magazine with an African-American focus on culture, politics, civil rights, business, education, and fashion. Includes the iconic cover pages and advertisements in addition to full text articles.


Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850-1920

Visual Resource

Collection of over 9,000 print advertisements from the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library at Duke University. See Ad*Access for advertisements in Duke's collection from 1911-1955.


Food and Drink in History

Full-Text
Coverage: 16th-21st centuries

Primary sources from the U.S., UK, and Australia on global food history.


Leisure, Travel & Mass Culture: The History of Tourism

Full-Text
Coverage: c. 1850-1980

Collection of documents covering the history and growth of tourism and travel in American the UK from the perspectives both of travelers and the travel industry.


Market Research & American Business, 1935-1965

Full-Text

Market research reports and supporting documents covering a wide range of industries and consumer habits and interests. Sourced from Ernest Dicther's "Institute for Motivational Research".


Medicine and Madison Avenue

Full-Text, Visual Resource

Images of 600+ health-related advertisements printed in newspapers and magazines from the 1910s to the 1950s. Ads illustrate the variety and evolution of marketing images for a wide range of products, such as: household cleaners, vitamins, pain relievers, and diet aids. Also includes historical documents (i.e. reports, editorials, radio scripts) that relate to the creation and influence of health-related advertisements.


OAAA Creative Library

Visual Resource

Searchable database of images from billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising from 1995 to the present. From the Outdoor Advertising Association of America.


Trade Catalogues and the American Home

Full-Text
Coverage: 1850-1950

Digitized trade catalogues highlighting American consumerism, marketing, manufacturing, and home life in the 19th and 20th centuries.


World's Fairs: A Global History of Expositions

Full-Text
Coverage: 1851-2015
Collection of official records, monographs, publicity, artwork, and artifacts, and more covering all the World's Fairs from Crystal Palace 1851 to Montreal 1967, plus other exhibitions and expos through to the modern day.