Web Site Search

Ask us now

Inventory of the Robert S. Smith Papers, 1947-1982 and undated

[top]

Descriptive Summary

Repository
Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University
Creator
Smith, Robert S.
Title
Robert S. Smith Papers, 1947-1982 and undated
Language of Material
Material in English, Spanish
Extent
16.5 Linear Feet

1200 Items
Abstract
Robert S. Smith is a retired executive who worked as an art director for a number of advertising agencies including William H. Weintraub and Co.; Norman Craig and Kummel; and Ogilvy & Mather (O&M).
The Robert S. Smith Papers span the years 1947 through 1982 and document Smith's work as an art director for several advertising agencies, including Norman Craig and Kummel; and Ogilvy & Mather (O&M). The materials consist primarily of sketches; paintings; photographs and contact sheets; advertising layouts and proofs; storyboards for television commercials; and house advertisements for O&M. Clients include Consolidated Cigar (El Producto and La Palina brands); Diageo (Gilbey's liquors), DuBonnet; General Foods (Maxim coffee, Gaines dog food); IBM; Maidenform; Mars; Nabisco; Rand McNally; Ronson; Schenley Distillers (Melrose liquors); and Toro. Also included are a set of sketches and drawings, some signed, by the artist Paul Rand. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
[top]

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.
Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.
Copyright Notice
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 Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Robert S. Smith Papers, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.
Provenance
The Robert S. Smith Papers were received by the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library as a gift in 2000.
Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Wood, November 2008
Encoded by Jessica Wood, November 2008
Accession 2001-0021 is described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
[top]

Biographical Note

Robert S. Smith served as Art Director for several advertising agencies, including: William H. Weintraub and Co.; Norman Craig and Kummel; Ogilvy & Mather (O&M); Fletcher Richards; and Calkins and Holden. He designed advertisements for National Distillers, U.S. Rubber, Revlon, Ronson, Rand McNally, Newsweek, and Consolidated Cigar Corporation, among others. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Morris Junior Museum, preparing brochures, posters and slides for lectures; photographs for exhibits; and a public relations film strip. He was also an active member of the Art Director's Club of New York. An avid photographer, Smith's photographs were published by Gilbey's, IBM, the National Guard, Folkways Records. He was once awarded third prize in a New York World-Telegram & Sun child photography contest.

[top]

Collection Overview

The Robert S. Smith Papers span the years 1947 through 1982 and document Smith's work as a commercial artist and art director for several advertising agencies, including Norman Craig and Kummel; and Ogilvy & Mather (O&M). The materials consist primarily of sketches; paintings; photographs and contact sheets; advertising layouts and proofs; storyboards for television commercials; and house advertisements for O&M. Clients include Consolidated Cigar (El Producto and La Palina brands); Diageo (Gilbey's liquors), DuBonnet; General Foods (Maxim coffee, Gaines dog food); IBM; Maidenform; Mars; Nabisco; Rand McNally; Ronson; Schenley Distillers (Melrose liquors); and Toro. Also included are a set of sketches, paintings and drawings, some signed, by the artist Paul Rand.

Collection Arrangement

Materials are arranged into four series by size: Small Format, Medium Format, Large Format and Extra Large Format. Within these series, items were grouped into subseries by genre: Brochures, Photographs, Proofs and Tearsheets, Sketches and Miscellaneous. Brochures include booklet-style advertistements. Photographs include photographs and contact sheets for several campaigns, including Milky Way and Gilbey's (Gin and Vodka). Proofs and Tearsheets include advertising proofs intended for publication in newspapers and magazines, as well as magazine and newspaper tearsheets and photostats. Items were separated into glossy and newsprint materials. Sketches include pencil, charcoal and pastel drawings for ad campaigns, as well as collages of glued paper items.

[top]

Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
[top]

Related Material

Related materials may be found in the following Hartman Center collections: the Anthony Weir Papers; the Bates Worldwide Inc. Records; the Garrett Orr Papers; the Gene Federico Papers; the Howard Scott Papers; the Lore Parker Papers; and the William E. Phillips Papers.
List of Series in Collection
Small format, 1956-1977 and undated
Medium Format, 1947-1979 and undated
Large format 1953-1982 and undated
Extra Large Format, 1961-1979
[top]

Detailed Description of Collection

Small format, 1956-1977 and undated

1 Box
Includes proofs, storyboards, tearsheets and photographs, as well as miscellaneous office correspondence between O&M employees. Items organized by genre and ordered alphabetically.
Box 1

General
Biographical sketch, undated
Christmas greeting card, undated
Correspondence, 1956 and undated
Packaging, Bliss home permanent, undated
Printed material, Type Talks, 1956

Photographs
Unidentified campaign, undated

Proofs and Tear Sheets
IBM, 1965
Inco, undated
Lovera cigars, undated
Melrose bourbon, undated
Miscellaneous deodorants (includes Veto, Odalin, Colgate, Suppress), undated
Rand McNally, undated
Ronson razors and lighters, undated
Samovar vodka, undated
Silky home permanent, undated
WBBM-TV, undated

Sketches
El Producto, undated

Storyboards
American Express, 1975 and undated
Gaines, undated
General Foods, 1966-1977 and undated
Lever Brothers, 1966 and undated
Mars, Inc., undated
Nabisco, 1974-1975 and undated
Prolamine, diet pills, 1965
Puerto Rico, 1977 and undated
Toro, snowpup, undated

Medium Format, 1947-1979 and undated

3 Boxes
Includes glossy and newsprint proofs and tearsheets, photographs, advertising sketches, as well as color sketches by Paul Rand. Items arranged by genre and ordered alphabetically.
Box 2

Miscellaneous
Lester Robbins Associates, holiday greeting, undated
Paul Rand sketches, undated

Photographs
Gilbey's, undated
Unidentified campaign, undated

Proofs and Tear Sheets
Glossy
Alka Seltzer, 1977
American Express, 1978, 1980
Ancient Age bourbon, 1948-1951
Bliss home permanent, 1957 and undated
Burns Security Services, 1959
Chanel, 1956
Cinzano vermouth, 1963
Coronet liquor, 1948 and undated
DuBonnet liquor, undated
DuBouchett liquor, 1956-1957
El Producto, 1953-1956
Gaines, Full Course dog food, 1978
Gibson, Diamond Eight whiskey, 1950
Gilbey's, 1958-1963 and undated
Good Seasons, 1964-1965
IBM, undated
James Pepper whiskey, 1953-1954
Kaufmann's, undated
Kentucky bourbon, 1960
King George whiskey and scotch, 1959-1960
La Palina cigars, 1953-1956
Box 3
Mars Corporation, 1968
Maidenform, 1956-1957
Maxwell House, undated
Nabisco, 1974
Newsweek, 1960-1961
Pepperidge Farm, 1970 and undated
Puerto Rico, undated
Puppy Palace, 1968-1969
Rand McNally, 1959-1960 and undated
Revlon, 1955-1956
Ronson lighters and razors, 1956-1957
Sportsman lotion, 1956
Stafford clothing, 1947-1948
Steuben Glass, 1978
Vat 69, 1960-1961 and undated
Veto deodorant, 1957
World Wildlife Federation, 1979 and undated
Newsprint
DuBonnet liquor, 1947-1948
El Producto cigars, undated
Gilbey's, 1958 and undated
James Pepper whiskey, 1952 and undated
Robeson cutlery, 1948
Stafford clothing, 1948
Box 4

Sketches
Airwick, undated
Ancient Age bourbon, undated
Chanel, undated
Conmar Zippers, undated
Crown Jewel perfume, undated
Lovera cigars, undated
Maxim coffee, undated
Melrose gin, undated
Rand McNally, undated
Revlon, undated
Robeson cutlery, undated
Stradivari, undated

Large format 1953-1982 and undated

7 Boxes
Includes proofs, tearsheets, sketches and brochures for primarily liquor, cosmetics and clothing campaigns. Also includes two of Paul Rand's color sketches, and a printed poster designed by Rand for Interfaith Day. Also includes proofs for undated O&M house advertisements. Items organized by genre and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Matted proofs and sketches were boxed separately from unmatted items.
Box 5

Brochures
El Producto cigars, undated
Gilbey's, 1963
Melrose whiskey, 1958

Miscellaneous
Paul Rand Interfaith Day poster, undated
Paul Rand sketches, undated

Photographs
Gilbey's, undated
Milky Way contact sheets, undated
Puppy Palace, undated
Box 6

Proofs and Tear Sheets
Ammens Powder, 1964
Conmar Zippers, undated
DuBarry cosmetics, 1957
El Producto cigars, 1955
Gilbey's, 1959-1963
Hill and Hill liquor, 1962
Inco, 1965, 1979 and undated
International Paper Company, 1977
Jeep, 1956-1957
La Palina cigars, 1953
Maidenform, undated
Marriott, 1980 and undated
National Distillers, 1960-1963
O&M, undated
Peugeot, 1981-1982
Puerto Rico, 1976 and undated
Revlon, 1955-1956
Robeson cutlery, 1950 and undated
Scientific American, undated
Toro lawnmowers, 1972-1973
Box 7

Matted Proofs and Sketches
Gilbey's, undated
Box 8
Gilbey's (continued), undated
Box 9
Gilbey's (continued), undated
Box 10
Gilbey's (continued), undated
Box 11
Cinzano liquor, undated
Hershey's chocolate, undated
Hill and Hill liquor, undated
IBM, undated
Box 12
Kentucky Colonel bourbon, undated
Ronson razors and lighters, undated
Unidentified campaign, undated
Vat 69 liquor, undated

Sketches
Bourbon Deluxe, undated
Coronet Brandy, undated
Crème Wash, undated
Driven Snow, undated
DuBonnet liquor, undated
El Producto cigars, undated
Box 13
Gilbey's, undated
La Palina cigars, undated
Ronson lighters and razors, undated
Samovar liquor, undated
Snow Crop, undated

Storyboards
Lever Brothers, 1969

Extra Large Format, 1961-1979

2 Boxes
Includes proofs, tearsheets and sketches. Items organized by genre and arranged alphabetically. Clients include Newsweek magazine, IBM, DuBarry cosmetics, Revlon, Gilbey's (Gin and Vodka), and Hill and Hill liquor.
Box 14

Proofs and Tear Sheets
Glossy
IBM, 1964-1965
Maxim coffee, 1964-1965
Newsweek, 1960-1961
Puerto Rico, 1975-1979
Newsprint
Newsweek, 1961

Sketches
DuBarry cosmetics, undated
Gilbey's, undated
Box 15
Hill and Hill liquor, undated  (2 folders)
Revlon, undated
Toro lawnmowers, undated