jwtplatt Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, 1926-1930 Processed by: Katherine Rose; machine-readable finding aid created by: Stephen Douglas Miller

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Aleph Number: 001078919

Machine-readable finding aid derived from Microsoft Word 6.0c Date of source: April 1997 Processed by: Katherine Rose April 1997; Finding Aid encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University. July 1997 Description is in English. 12-31-2005 PUBLIC "-//Duke University::David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library//TEXT (US::NDD::::J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, 1926-1930)//EN" "jwtplatt.xml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Also, the top level of the finding aid (above the dsc) changed to conform to current Rubenstein Library and NC EAD standards as laid out in the Inventory Style Guide and in the NCEAD Best Practice Guidelines. Within the dsc, dates for series were normalized. These changes were made by Michelle Belden. Also, container TYPE and LABEL attribute values were standardized according to the Rubenstein Library EAD 2002 manual and the NCEAD eadlocal.ent by Ruth E. Bryan. The tag list inside index was changed to indexentry by Ruth E. Bryan. June 29, 1998 Updated to EAD Version 1.0 from EAD Beta by Stephen Miller Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, 1926-1930 The John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing HistoryDavid M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript LibraryDuke UniversityDurham, North Carolina

Descriptive Summary J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, 1926-1930 J. Walter Thompson Company. 1.2 Linear Feet 900 Items Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. English. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights 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 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in the J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers have not been transferred to Duke University. For further information, see the section on copyright in the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Provenance

The Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers were transferred to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library from the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) in 1987.

Processing Information

Processed by: Katherine Rose

Completed April 1997

Encoded by Stephen Douglas Miller

Processing of this collection was supported in part by gifts from the J. Walter Thompson Company Fund and the John and Kelly Hartman Foundation.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Biographical Note 1891 Feb. 1 Born in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania 1910-1914 Earned A. B. from Mount Holyoke College ca. 1916 Worked as a social worker in Rhode Island and New York ca. 1917 Organized Hostesses, Inc., a service bureau that arranged parties, shopping, etc. 1928 May 2 Began working at JWT's New York Office in the Women's Editorial Department 1929 Jan. 1 Transferred to the JWT Personality Department 1959 Jan. 31 Retired from JWT 1963 Jan. 7 Died

For more biographical information on Lucille Turnbach Platt, see the JWT Archives Personnel Files and similar information in the Biographical Files.

Collection Overview

The papers of Lucile Turnbach Platt, former employee of the J. Walter Thompson Company's Personality Department, span the years 1926 to 1930; some Items are undated. The materials primarily document the creation of a testimonial advertising campaign for Simmons beds and boxsprings, and Beautyrest mattresses. The papers illustrate the selection of spokespersons, photographing of them and their home interiors, travel arrangements, delivery and removal of beds, and payment for their services. The materials chiefly consist of office memoranda and other correspondence among Platt, other JWT staff and product spokespersons. The collection also includes photographs and negatives, a few samples of advertisements, lists of women approached to participate, unsigned copies of contracts, and drafts of testimonials. Most of the files relate to soliciting very prominent American and foreign women to endorse Simmons products, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Mrs. Charles Crocker, Mrs. John Sargent Pillsbury, Mrs. Perry Tiffany, Mrs. Robert T. Vanderbilt, and Mrs. John W. Wanamaker III, among many others. Endorsers were paid between $1,000 and $5,000 for permission to use their names, photographs, and testimonials. Photographs of bedrooms were shot on location in the women's homes. The materials are arranged with miscellaneous Simmon's account files first, alphabetically by title, then files are arranged alphabetically by the spokesperson's name.

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.

Simmons Company. J. Walter Thompson Company. Personality department. Steichen, Edward, 1879-1973. Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962. Advertising campaigns. Advertising agencies--New York. Women in advertising. Mattresses. Beds. Women in the advertising business--New York. Celebrities. Endorsements in advertising. Advertising photography. John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History. Contents of Collection Alphabetical Files 1 Bed Orders, 1928-1929 and undated Fokker, A. H. G., 1928-1929 Palmer, Marion, Trip to California, 1930 and undated Simmons Brochures, undated Spool Beds, 1928 and undated Women Endorsers- General, 1926-1930 and undated (3 folders) Women Endorsers- Lists, 1928-1929 and undated American Woman's Association, 1928-1929 and undated Armour, Mrs. Laurance, 1928-1930 and undated Bacon, Mrs. Robert Low, 1927-1929 and undated Belmont, Mrs. Morgan, 1927-1929 and undated Biddle, Mrs. A. J. Drexel, 1927 Cabot, Mrs. Hughs, 1927 and undated Princess Cantacuzene, 1927 and undated Carpenter, Mrs. John Alden, 1927-1928 and undated Princess Chavehavadza, 1927 and undated Choate, Miss Mabel, 1927-1929 and undated Church, Mrs. Frederick Cameron, 1928-1929 Crane, Mrs. Richard, 1927-1928 2 Crocker, Mrs. Charles, 1928-1930 and undated (2 folders) Davis, Mrs. John W., 1927 Dick, Mrs. William K., 1927 and undated Du Pont, Amy, 1930 Du Pont, Mrs. Henry, 1927-1929 Fairbank, Mrs. Kellogg, 1927 and undated Field, Mrs. Marshall, Jr., 1927 and undated Gibson, Mrs. Charles Dana, 1927 and undated Hammond, Mrs. John Hays, Jr., 1929-1930 and undated Harriman, Mrs. J. Borden, 1927-1929 and undated Herrick, Mrs. Parmalee, 1928-1929 Hutton, Mrs. Edward F., 1927-1928 and undated Jay, Mrs. William, 1927 and undated Leiter, Mrs. Joseph, 1928-1929 Linn, Mrs. Howard, 1927-1929 and undated Mansfield, Countess Colloredo, 1928 McCormick, Mrs. Medill, 1926-1927 and undated McCormick, Mrs. Edith Rockefeller, 1927 and undated McCormick, Mrs. Robert, 1928-1929 Mitchell, Mrs. J. J., 1927-1929 and undated Morris, Mrs. Lewis Gouveneur, 1927 and undated Princess Obolensky, 1927 and undated Pillsbury, Mrs. John Sargentt, 1929 and undated Roosevelt, Mrs. Franklin D., 1927-1929 Rumsey, Mrs. Charles Carey, 1927-1928 Sermoneta, Duchessa di, 1929 and undated Spreckles, Mrs. Augustus, 1927-1928 and undated Swift, Mrs. Edward F., 1927-1928 and undated Taft, Mrs. Henry W., 1927-1928 Tiffany, Mrs. Anne Cameron, 1927 and undated (2 folders) Tiffany, Mrs. Charles, 1927 Tiffany, Mrs. Perry, 1929 and undated Urban, Joseph, Room, 1929 and undated Vanderbilt, Mrs. Robert T., 1927 and undated Vanderbilt, Mrs. William K., 1927-1928 and undated Wanamaker, Mrs. John W., III, 1929 Warburton, Mary Brown, 1927 and undated Woods, Mrs. Arthur, 1920 Oversize Materials 1 Simmons Brochures, undated Bacon, Mrs. Robert Low, 1926 Belmont, Mrs. Morgan, 1927 and undated Pillsbury, Mrs. John Sargent, undated Sermoneta, Duchessa di, 1929 Tiffany, Mrs. Perry, 1929 and undated