Budweiser billboard dossiers and photographs, 1940s-1950s

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Summary

Creator:
Foster and Kleiser Company, John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History, and Murtaugh, Thomas H., 1919-2000
Abstract:
Budweiser beer is an American-style pale lager produced by Anheuser-Busch. In the 1940s and 1950s the company sought to advertise its beer on billboards and other outdoor displays. Collection contains four dossiers from three different outdoor advertising companies, each proposing locations for Budweiser billboards in a particular city. Each dossier contains photographs of prospective locations, as well as accompanying notes and cost estimates. Collection also contains loose photographs of potential billboard locations. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
Extent:
0.25 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.12003

Background

Scope and content:

Collection contains four dossiers from three different outdoor advertising companies (Foster & Kleiser, Disosway & Fisher, and A.H. Villepigue), each proposing locations for Budweiser billboards in a particular city. Each dossier contains photographs of prospective locations, as well as accompanying notes and cost estimates. Collection also contains loose photographs of potential billboard locations. Many of these loose photographs are attributed to photographer Thomas H. Murtaugh (1919-2000). Other identified photographers are Louis Nemeth (1918-2011) and Braun Photo Service.

Biographical / historical:

Budweiser beer is an American-style pale lager produced by Anheuser-Busch. In the 1940s and 1950s the company sought to advertise its beer on billboards and other outdoor displays.

Foster & Kleiser was an American advertising company founded in 1901 by Walter Foster and George Kleiser. Foster & Kleiser began operations in Portland, OR, and Seattle, WA and later expanded down the west coast. The company specialized in outdoor advertising and billboards. Foster & Kleiser was purchased by W.R. Grace and Company in 1952 but retained its name until the 1980s. Since then, the company has undergone several different name changes. As of 2022, its name is Clear Channel Outdoor.

Disosway & Fisher Inc. was a Long Island-based company that specialized in outdoor advertising. It was established in 1899 by Charles N. Disosway and Marion J. Fisher, who were presidents of the company in 1906. Disosway & Fisher was purchased by the 20th Century Outdoor Advertising Corporation in 1963.

A.H. Villepigue Inc. was a Long Island-based company that specialized in creating outdoor advertising bilboards and signs. It was established in 1932 by Adolph H. Villpigue and incorporated in 1934. The company dissolved in 1989.

Sources: "Our Company History," Clear Channel Outdoor; The Trow (formerly Wilson's) Copartnership and Corporation Directory of New York City, 1906; Peter Bart, "Advertising: Addenda," New York Times, November 11, 1963; Tom Buckley, "About New York," New York Times, May 28, 1975; New York Department of State, Division of Corporations database. (All sources accessed May 19, 2022.)

Acquisition information:
The Budweiser Billboard Dossiers and Photographs were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase from Harper's Books in 2022.
Processing information:

Processed by Leah Tams, April 2022.

Accessions described in this collection guide: 2022-0056.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

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Subjects:
Advertising, Outdoor
Advertising, Outdoor -- California -- Los Angeles
Advertising, Outdoor -- New York (State) -- New York
Billboards -- United States
Advertising -- Beer
Advertising -- Beer -- United States
Format:
Photographs
Names:
John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Budweiser Billboard Dossiers and Photographs, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.