MenuInventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, 1926-1930
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.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- J. Walter Thompson Company. Lucile Turnbach Platt Papers, 1926-1930
- Creator
- J. Walter Thompson Company.
- Extent
- 1.2 Linear Feet, 900 Items
- Repository
- Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Language
- English.
Administrative Information
Collections are on the move for the renovation of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Contact Rubenstein Library staff before visiting. Read More »
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.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
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Expand AllHistorical Note
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 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.
Subject Headings
- 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.
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.