J. Walter Thompson Company. Iconographic collection, 1848-2005 and undated
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Summary
- Creator:
- J. Walter Thompson Company
- Abstract:
- Founded in 1864, the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) is one of the oldest and largest enduring advertising agencies in the United States. The Iconographic Collection spans the years 1848-2005 with the bulk of materials dating between 1940 and 1985, and includes black-and-white and color photographs, negatives, slides, contact sheets, photograph albums, and microfiche. It is an artificial collection created to document the facilities, key events, advertising highlights and corporate culture of the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT). Domestic and international offices are included, with the New York, Chicago and London offices being the most heavily represented. Key executives include James Walter Thompson, Stanley and Helen Landsdowne Resor, Don Johnston, Dan Seymour, Norm Strouse, and E.G. Wilson. Client advertising includes Ford, Kodak, Chesebrough-Pond's, Lever Brothers (Unilever), and Warner-Lambert. Notable photographers whose work appears in the collection include Fabian Bachrach, Ralph Bartholomew, Cecil Beaton, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Philippe Halsman, Horst P. Horst, George Hurrell, Yousuf Karsh, Baron Adolf de Meyer, Bill Ray, Jean Raeburn, Edward Steichen, Thomas Veres, Brett Weston and Dorothy Wilding. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
- Extent:
- 90 Linear Feet
30,000 Items - Language:
- Material in English
- Collection ID:
- RL.00712
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Iconographic Collection spans the years 1848-2005 with the bulk of materials dating between 1940 and 1985, and includes black-and-white and color photographs, negatives, slides, contact sheets, photograph albums, and microfiche. It is an artificial collection created to document the facilities, key events, advertising highlights and corporate culture of the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT). Domestic and international offices are included, with the New York, Chicago and London offices being the most heavily represented. Key executives include James Walter Thompson, Stanley and Helen Landsdowne Resor, Don Johnston, Dan Seymour, Norm Strouse, and E.G. Wilson. Client advertising includes Ford, Kodak, Chesebrough-Pond's, Lever Brothers (Unilever), and Warner-Lambert. Notable photographers whose work appears in the collection include Fabian Bachrach, Ralph Bartholomew, Cecil Beaton, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Philippe Halsman, Horst P. Horst, George Hurrell, Yousuf Karsh, Baron Adolf de Meyer, Bill Ray, Jean Raeburn, Edward Steichen, Thomas Veres, Brett Weston and Dorothy Wilding.
Restrictions on Access: Reproduction-quality copies of Pond's Advertising Photographs may not be produced for non-JWT users.
- Acquisition information:
- The J. Walter Thompson Company. Iconographic Collection was received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 1987, with additions in subsequent years.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Richard Collier, Caitlin Harding, Ashley Urquhart, January 2009
Encoded by Richard Collier, March 2009
Accessions 791003B, 800414, 800915, 810226B, 810712, 860129C, 91-099, 92-023, 93-036, 93-081, 93-140, 93-141, 96-050, 96-147, 00-385 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.
- Arrangement:
-
Collection is arranged into eight series: Corporate Events; Office Photographs; Officers and Staff Photographs; Negatives; Pond's Photographs and Negatives; Slides; Thomas Veres Photographs and Negatives; and Oversize Materials.
Corporate Events includes photographs of some of JWT's art and artifact collections as well as of meetings, seminars and anniversary parties of company-wide significance. Office Photographs document interiors and exteriors of JWT's domestic and international office buildings. Officers and Staff Photographs primarily feature senior-level management, but there are also publicity photographs and group portraits of departments, sports teams, and employee outings. Negatives comprise negatives associated with the Corporate Events, Office Photographs, and Officers and Staff Photographs Series. Pond's Photographs and Negatives include portraits of celebrities and socialites taken by leading photographers for Pond's beauty products advertising campaigns. Slides consist primarily of monthly advertising highlights as well as materials assembled for presentations. Thomas Veres Photographs and Negatives consist of work performed by Veres under contract to JWT, primarily of company events and staff. Oversize Materials include large-format materials pulled from other series.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
Click on terms below to find related finding aids on this site. For other related materials in the Duke University Libraries, search for these terms in the Catalog.
- Subject:
- Commercial photography
Advertising -- Photographers
Advertising executives
Advertising photography
Advertising agencies
Advertising agencies -- History
Advertising agencies -- Employees
Photography -- Collections
Corporate culture
Photographic albums -- 1890-1960 - Format:
- Photographic albums
Fashion photographs
Microfiche
Slides (photographs)
Contact sheets
Color photographs
Negatives (photographs)
Black-and-white photographs - Names:
- Ford Motor Company
Eastman Kodak Company
Chesebrough-Pond's.
John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History
J. Walter Thompson Company
J. Walter Thompson Company. New York Office
J. Walter Thompson Company. London Office
J. Walter Thompson Company. Chicago Office
Warner-Lambert Company
Lever Brothers and Unilever, ltd
Hurrell, George, 1904-1992
Horst, 1906-1999
Halsman, Philippe
De Meyer, Adolf, Baron, 1868-1949
Dahl-Wolfe, Louise
Karsh, Yousuf, 1908-2002
Johnston, Don, 1927-
Wilding, Dorothy, 1893-1976
Wilson, Edward G., 1909-1993
Weston, Brett
Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973
Bachrach, Fabian, 1917-
Strouse, Norman H.
Beaton, Cecil, 1904-1980
Meek, Samuel W. (Samuel Williams), 1895-
Bartholomew, Ralph, 1907-1985
Contents
Using These Materials
- Using These Materials Links:
-
Using These Materials
- Restrictions:
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Collection is open for research.
However, nitrate negatives and some other items may not be accessible due to preservation concerns.
Additionally, reproduction-quality copies of Pond's Advertising Photographs may not be produced for non-JWT users.
Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for research use.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.
- Terms of access:
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The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
- Before you visit:
- Please consult our up-to-date information for visitors page, as our services and guidelines periodically change.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Iconographic Collection, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1h34g