Garrett Orr papers, circa 1873-1994, bulk 1890s-1914, 1935-1965

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Summary

Creator:
Orr, Garrett, 1907-1988
Extent:
18.5 Linear Feet
11,000 Items
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00976

Background

Scope and content:

The Garrett Orr Papers document the artistic output and personal files of advertising executive Garrett Orr. Although the collection spans the years circa 1873 to 1994, the bulk of the materials fall within two main periods: the 1890s to 1914, comprising a photographic collection of old poster images; and 1930 to 1965, which approximates the span of Orr's professional life. The collection includes the original drawings, water colors and paintings produced by Orr as designs for the outdoor advertising campaigns of a wide variety of products such as Gillette razors, Ipana toothpaste (Bristol-Myers), Lucky Strikes and Viceroy cigarettes (Brown & Williamson), Mazola corn oil (Corn Products Refining Company), Seagram beverages, Verney fabrics, and White Rose tea. Also included are folders of photographs, slides and negatives of Orr's advertising work for approximately 550 companies (with index). In addition, a collection of almost 200 large-format negatives and photographs document images of 19th- and early 20th-century posters for plays, musicals, minstrel shows, circuses, and hotels. A large set of clippings files contain published examples of the work of over 100 graphic artists and illustrators contemporary with Orr, including Floyd Davis, Ronald McLeod, George Petty, Howard Scott, Ben Stahl, Jon Whitcomb, and J. Walter Wilkinson. The collection is organized into five series--the General Files Series; the Artists and Illustrators Series; the Product Files Series; the Other Photographic Materials Series; and the Sketches Series. Large-format items from the Artists and Illustrators Series and Sketches Series have been relocated to Oversize Materials.

Closely related collections held by the Rubenstein Library include: the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Archives; the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Poster Designs; the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Slide Library; the Duplex Advertising Company Billboard Images and Records; the Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements; the R.C. Maxwell Co. Records; the Howard Scott Papers; and the John Paver Papers.

Biographical / historical:
Chronology
Date Event
1907 May 22
Born, Caro, Mich.
1928
Graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago; worked for several years for various newspapers and advertising agencies
circa 1933
Joined Outdoor Advertising, Inc. (OAI)
circa 1938
Became an Associate Art Director, OAI
1957
Married Janet Brewster, then-Executive Secretary of the National Society of Art Directors
1958
Became President, Art Directors Club of New York, and Art Director, OAI
1959
Became Chairman, Art Division, Sister Elizabeth Kenney Foundation Fund, a public service campaign to fight polio
1965
Won a gold medal for water colors at the 25th Annual Members Exhibition of the Art Directors Club of New York, for his painting entitled Composition No. 1
circa 1968
Retired as Art Director of OAI, to become a consultant art director
1988 July 4
Died, Montville, N.J.

Garrett Orr was a graphic artist and billboard designer. A director with Outdoor Advertising, Inc. (OAI) for over 30 years (1938-1968), Orr oversaw national outdoor advertising campaigns during a period where technological advances and a developing interstate highway system stimulated rapid growth in the U.S. outdoor advertising industry. Stan H. Henderson, President of the Georgia Outdoor Advertising Company, Inc. once said of Garrett Orr, "Garry probably produced more outdoor advertising art than any other man in history."

Custodial history:

The Garrett Orr Papers were transferred to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1996 and 2000.

Processing information:

Processed by Richard Collier

Completed March 2003

Processing of this collection was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Accessions 96-139 and 2000-0327 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.

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

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

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. There may be a 48-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Terms of access:

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.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Garrett Orr Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.