MenuInventory of the Garrett Orr Papers, circa 1873-1994, bulk 1890s-1914, 1935-1965
Collection Overview
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.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Garrett Orr Papers, circa 1873-1994, bulk 1890s-1914, 1935-1965
- Creator
- Orr, Garrett
- Extent
- 18.5 Linear Feet, 11,000 Items
- Repository
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
- Language
- English.
Administrative Information
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Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research.
However, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
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 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.
Contents of the Collection
Browse List of Series
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Expand AllConsists primarily of clippings, correspondence and obituary notices. Also includes a collection of some of Orr's articles; his personal notes for an outdoor advertising campaign; and announcements of exhibitions and award presentations by professional organizations such as the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Art Directors Clubs of New York and New Jersey, and the Society of Illustrators. Arranged alphabetically.
Clippings, tear sheets and photographs of advertisements and periodical illustrations produced by approximately 127 commercial artists. Most materials date between 1935 and 1950, with a particularly strong emphasis on World War II-era illustrations. Dates for some materials could not be readily determined but have been provided where known. Materials are organized into two format-related subseries--Printed Materials and Photographs--to accommodate storage needs, and arranged alphabetically therein by artist name.
Prominent artists featured here include: Peter Arno (best known for his New Yorker illustrations of the 1930s and 1940s); C.C. Beall (illustrator for Collier's magazine in the 1940s); Pierre Brissaud ( Wamsutta sheets, 1930s); Dean Cornwell (noted for his World War II action scenes, and his illustrations for General Motors' Fisher Bodies and Philadelphia Whiskey); Floyd Davis (creator of distinctive comic characters for Ten High Whiskey, 1930s); John Gannam (lifestyle vignettes for Pacific Mills and the U.S. Brewers Association); Earl Oliver Hurst (cover illustrations for Collier's magazine 1930s, Jantzen sportswear); Ronald McCleod (cover illustrations for Collier's 1940s, Plymouth and Texaco print advertisements); Al Parker (cover illustrations for Ladies' Home Journal 1940s-1950s); Russell Patterson (noted for his Ballyhoo magazine cover art in the 1930s; his specialty, stylized ink drawings of barely-clad female figures in comic situations, were featured on advertisements for a number of different products); George Petty (a longtime illustrator for Esquire magazine; the Petty Girls drawings were one of the most recognizable styles of pinup art in the 1930s and 1940s); Robert O. Reid ( Collier's cover art 1939-40; illustrator for Oldsmobile automobiles and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer); Howard Scott ( Saturday Evening Post cover art 1940s; advertisements for Nash automobiles and Esso oil products; researchers interested in Scott's work should also consult the Howard Scott Papers); Ben Stahl (Rogers Bros. silverware; perhaps most famous for his illustrations on the John Hancock insurance company's American Heroes advertising campaign); Jon Whitcomb, who in the 1930s and 1940s was a nearly ubiquitous illustrator for women's and family magazines such as Ladies' Home Companion, Good Housekeeping, Saturday Evening Post, and Collier's; and J. Walter Wilkinson (the OAAA campaign Make a Long Story Short, WW II Defense Bonds); original paintings by this artist are contained in Oversize Materials.
Includes covers from Vanity Fair, 1934-1935.
Includes advertisement for Ford.
Includes advertisements for Gem razors and Mori; covers from New Yorker, 1935-1941.
Includes advertisements for Dow Chemical, Kinsey whiskey, National City Bank of New York, Shell Research; covers from Saturday Evening Post, 1943-1944, and Woman's Home Companion, 1939.
Includes advertisement for Philips Petroleum.
Includes covers from Collier's, 1944-1946.
Includes advertisement for Sanka.
Includes advertisement for French Line, Pall Mall, Wamsutta Sheets, Westvaco.
Includes cover from Harper's Bazaar, 1936.
Includes cover from Collier's, 1944.
Includes advertisement for Cream of Wheat.
Includes advertisements for Fridgidaire, Pet Milk.
Includes advertisements for NRFA, Swift and Co..
Includes advertisements for Early Times, Fisher/GM , Goodyear, National City Bank of New York, Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia whiskey, Powers Reproductions, Seagram's gin, Wyeth's.
Includes cover from New Yorker, 1937.
Includes cover from Collier's, 1940.
Includes advertisements for Continental Can, Dixie Belle gin, Dorothy Gray, Fleischmann's, Hind's Cream, Johnny Walker Scotch, Sanka, Seagram's, Spalding, Spud Cigarettes, Talon, Ten High whiskey, Texaco, Wamsutta, WestVaco.
Includes advertisements for Capital Stock Fire Insurance, Bromo-Seltzer, Fels-Naptha, Fleetwood Cigarettes, Frigidaire, Imperial Whiskey, Johnson and Johnson, Mount Vernon Whiskey, Revere Copper and Brass, Sanka, Texaco, USO, World Peaceways, Wurlitzer.
Includes advertisements for Camel and French Line; covers from Vogue, 1933-1939.
Includes advertisements for Arrow Shirts, Gulf; covers from Saturday Evening Post, 1944-1945.
Includes advertisements for Cashmere Bouquet, Dollar Steamship Line, Gruen, John Hancock, Howard Paper Mills, Mack Trucks, Pan-Am.
Includes advertisement for Lucky Strike.
Includes advertisements for Ipana Toothpaste, La Salle, Pacific Mills, St. Mary's Blankets, U.S. Brewers Foundation.
Includes advertisements for Bermuda Tourism, Crane's Fine Papers, Hockanum Woolens, Italian Line, Listerine, Mercury, Byron Musser, Stetson Hats, Vitamins Plus, Wamsutta, Westvaco, Woodbury Facial Soap; covers from Cosmopolitan, 1949, and Woman's Home Companion, 1935-1937.
Includes cover from Motor, 1930.
Includes advertisements for Cannon Mills, Chanel, Coty, Spud Cigarettes.
Includes advertisements for New York Subway Advertising Company Incorporated.
Includes advertisements for Cannon, Schaefer.
Includes covers from TV Guide and American Mercury.
Includes advertisements for Westvaco.
Includes covers from Collier's, 1929-1930.
Includes advertisements for Lucky Strike.
Includes advertisements for DuPont, General Electric, Jantzen, Royal Crown; covers from Collier's, 1932-1941.
Includes advertisements for Ford. See also Photographs Subseries.
Includes covers from The American Magazine.
Includes cover from Pictorial Review.
Includes advertisements for Budweiser, Chevrolet, Fire Prevention Week, Niagra Mohawk, Mobil, Plymouth, Schaefer, Schenley, Texaco, U.S. Rubber Co; covers from Saturday Evening Post, 1939, Collier's, 1939-1944.
Includes advertisement for Certain-Teed.
Includes advertisement for Ford.
Includes advertisement for Ford.
Includes advertisement for Chase and Sanborn; covers from Ladies' Home Journal, 1939-1951.
Includes advertisements for Fisk Tire and General Electric.
Includes advertisements for April Showers, Borden; covers from Ballyhoo, 1935.
Includes cover from The Illustrator.
Includes advertisements for Acme Beer, Airman, Best Form, Jantzen, Old Gold, Quaker Stockings; various illustrations from Esquire.
Includes covers from Saturday Evening Post, 1940-1943.
Includes advertisements for Maxwell House.
Includes advertisements for Budd.
Includes advertisements for Blue Ribbon, General Tire, Oldsmobile, Old Gold, Sealed Power; covers from Collier's, 1939-1940.
Includes advertisements for Airesearch, Capehart, Curtiss Wright, Dole, IBM, National Steel, New England Mutual, Owens-Corning, Packard, Pennsylvania Railroad, Schenley, Shell, Springmaid.
Includes cover from Adventure.
Includes cover from Collier's.
Includes advertisements for Ford. See also Photographs Subseries.
Includes advertisements for Blue Ribbon, Delmonte, Esso, Fleetwood, Ford, Jello, Jewel, Mobil, Nabisco, Nash, Pillsbury, Popsicle, Pyro, Rath, Schaeffer, Sohio, Standard, Wonder; covers from Saturday Evening Post , 1941-1944.
Includes advertisements for Chevrolet.
Includes advertisements for Ford and Shell.
Includes advertisements for Bell, Coca-Cola, Evervess, John Hancock, Kleenex, Maxwell House, Rosenblum, Rogers Bros.
Includes advertisements for Amoco, Atlas, Ballantine's, Dept. of Agriculture, Esso, Hiram Walker, Swan. See also Photographs Subseries.
Includes advertisements for Beech-Nut gum, Fuller paint, Mobil oil; cover from Saturday Evening Post.
Includes advertisements for American Petroleum Institute, B&O Railroad, Carrier, Coca-Cola, Ford, GE, GM, Goodyear, Gulf, Heinz, Kinsey, Sealtest, Stetson.
Includes advertisement for Prince Albert.
Includes advertisement for Studebaker; cover from Collier's.
Includes advertisements for New York Times.
Includes advertisements for Schiaparelli; covers from Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.
Includes advertisements for Acme Beer, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Community Silverplate, Jantzen, Kotex, Lustre-Crme, Oneida Silver, Palmolive; covers from Collier's, 1939-1947, Saturday Evening Post, Woman's Home Companion, Famous Artist and Good Housekeeping.
Illustrations and articles; advertisements for Community Silverplate, Jantzen, Marlboro, Mum, Toushay, Puerto Rico, Sanka, Sea Tweed, Windex.
Includes advertisements for Arrow Shirts, Pepsi, Philip Morris cigarettes; cover from Cosmopolitan.
Includes advertisements for Defense Bonds, Esso, Ford, Outdoor Advertising. See also Oversize Folder 1.
Includes advertisements for Arrow Shirt, Bermuda Tourism, Ford, GE, Gulf, Hockanum, Plymouth, Wamsutta, World Peaceways.
Includes advertisement for Cadillac.
Includes cover from Collier's Weekly.
Includes advertisement for Esso.
Includes cover from Saturday Evening Post.
Includes advertisement for Johns Manville.
Includes cover from Fortune.
Includes advertisements for Airlines of the U.S., AutoCar, Autolite, Belmont Radio, Borden, Capehart, CCA, Cornet Brandy, Crisco, Dodge, Dow, Eveready, High Standard, LaSalle ( General Motors), Monsanto, Packard, Revere Copper and Brass, RKO Pictures, Saks Fifth Avenue, Seagram, Seiberling, Texaco, Westvaco; covers from Time, 1943-1944. See also Photographs Subseries.
Includes advertisements for Ford. See also Printed Materials Subseries.
Includes advertisements for Holly Farms and Plymouth. See also Sketches Series.
Includes advertisements for Ford. See also Printed Materials Subseries.
Includes advertisements for automotive and gasoline products. See also Printed Materials Subseries.
Includes advertisements for S&W coffee.
Includes advertisements for Chevrolet, Dodge and Pontiac automobiles. See also Printed Materials Subseries
Tear sheets, clippings, proofs and photographs of both print-media and outdoor advertising displays, representing around 450 products. Dates for some materials could not be readily determined, but dates have been provided where known. Included for some products are images from the OAI pamphlet series Poster Ideas, which highlighted successful or innovative advertising campaigns along with suggested poster ideas for particular products. Not all of the advertisements included represent work by Orr, and some clippings appear to have been added after Orr's death. Materials have been arranged into two subseries--Print Advertisements and Photographs--to accommodate storage needs. In addition, the Print Advertisements Subseries has been further organized into small- and large-format sizes. There is considerable overlap between the Print Advertisements and Photographs Subseries, and researchers are advised to consult both subseries. Arranged alphabetically by product category, therein by trade name.
Photographs, negatives and slides arranged by Orr into distinct collections that stand apart from photographic items present in other series. The series is organized into two subseries--Historical Poster Images and Modern Poster Images--and therein alphabetically by product category and trade name or title.
Large-format photographs and negatives of posters, billboards, theatre and circus signs and other advertising-related images of goods, services and entertainment events that date from the late 19th-early 20th century. Dates for individual images have been supplied where known, but not every image could be precisely dated. The images are all on modern safety film and negative stock, which suggests that the photographs might have been taken taken during the 1930s-1940s at the earliest, but a more accurate dating of the photographs themselves cannot be determined. Many of the posters bear the logos of various incarnations of the Strobridge Lithographing Company. In addition, some of the photographs have handwritten notes on the back that indicate that those images may have originated with the Chicago Historical Society, while others bear the stamp of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America Library. Anecdotal evidence further suggests that these photographs were once part of, or copies of, a historical advertisement archive maintained by OAI, but that suggestion cannot be verified. Organized into three groups--Photographs, Negatives (photographs available), and Negatives (photographs not available)--and therein alphabetically by subject category, item name, or title.
Many images in this subseries may be in the public domain. However, it is the researcher's responsibility to comply with all copyright and trademark laws.
For related materials see the Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements collection and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) Archives.
Includes:
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch, Attack on an Emigrant Train
Clausen Ale
Gibson's Rip Van Winkle Whiskey, 1892
Pleasant Valley Wine Co.
Tosetti Brewing
Wacker & Birk Brewing Co.
Includes Cotton Plant stoves, Thatcher furnaces.
Includes Magic White soap, Pearline, Sapolio.
Circus
Includes the Barnum Monkey Tribe, Barnum Ox, Sells Brothers' dwarf elephant and hippopotomi.
Includes one advertisement in German (1900).
Includes Adam Forepaugh's Circus and Menagerie; Aeriel the Flying Man (W. W. Cole); Be-Be the Flying Lady (W.C. Coup); President Garfield assassination tableaux (W.C. Coup).
Includes:
Alaskan, The
Arcadian, The, 1910
Around the World in 80 Days
Bad Man from Mexico, 1906
Beautiful Adventure, 1914
Dollar Princess, The, 1909
Fight, The
Gay Parisians, The, 1895
Gretna Green, 1902
Ham Tree, The, 1913
Iron King, The
Little Corporal, The, 1898
Little Terror, The, 1909
Marriage Market, The, 1913
M'lle Modeste, 1904
Mountain Climber, The, 1906
Naughty Anthony
Our Miss Gibbs, 1910
Patriot, The, 1908
Peg o' My Heart
Rollicking Girl, The, 1905
Runaway, The, 1911
Saratoga
Sergeant Bruce, 1905
Such a Little Queen, 1905
Sunshine Girl, The
Toreador, The, 1903
Includes:
Babes in Toyland, 1904
Chieftain, The, 1895
Fluffy Ruffles
Gypsy, The, 1912
Little Cherub, The
Quaker Girl, The
Storks, The, 1892
Opera (no negatives available)
Includes:
Fleur de Lis, 1895
Othello
Spider & Fly
Includes:
Arsne Lupin, 1909
The Auctioneer, 1901
Barbara Frietchie, The Frederick Girl, 1900
Bedford's Hope, 1905
Bird of Paradise, 1913
Black Crook
Bonnie Scotland, 1895
Butterfly on the Wheel, 1912
Chantecler, 1911
Child of the Regiment, 1906
Curse of Drink, The, 1904
Damaged Goods
D'Arcy of the Guards
Darling of the Gods, The, 1903
Dawn of a To-Morrow, The, 1910 (written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of A Little Princess and A Secret Garden)
Easiest Way, The, 1907
Factory Girl, The, 1903
Fighting Hope, The, 1908
Fool of Fortune, 1896
For His Brother's Crime, 1903
Girl of the Golden West, The, 1906
Harvest Moon, The, 1909
Harvester, The, 1904
He Fell in Love with His Wife, 1912
Heart of the Klondike, 1897
Heart of Maryland, The, 1904
Hearts are Trumps, 1900
Hon. John Grigsby, 1901
John Mishler, One of the Finest
Lady Rose's Daughter, 1902
Last Stroke, A Story of Cuba's Fight for Freedom, 1900
Lion and the Mouse, The, 1904
Little Minister, The, 1897 (written by J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan)
Lost Paradise, The (written by David Belasco and Henry DeMille, Cecil B. DeMille's father)
Lottie the Poor Sales Lady, or, Death Before Dishonor, 1907
Maister of Woodbarrow, The
Mice and Men, 1903
Mile a Minute
Music Master, The, 1904
Night's Frolic
Ninety and Nine, The
Old Curiosity Shop, The, 1909
Parted on Her Bridal Tour, 1907
Peter Pan, 1907
Prince of India, The, 1905
Queen of the White Slaves, 1903
Rainbow, The, 1913
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, 1911
Rebel, The, 1900
Red Mill, The, 1908
Rose of the Rancho, The, 1907
Runnymede, 1895
Sidewalks of New York, The, 1895
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Speckled Band, The, 1910
Spoilers, The, 1907
Third Degree, The, 1898
Tree of Knowledege, The, 1898
Trelawny of the Wells, 1898
Trip to Chinatown
Uncle Tom's Cabin (produced by Jay Rial and featuring genuine trained bloodhounds)
Virginius
Warrens of Virginia, The, 1908 (written by William C. DeMille, brother of Cecil B. DeMille)
Way Down East, 1898
White Slave, The
Woman, The, 1911 (written by William C. DeMille, brother of Cecil B. DeMille)
Negatives correspond to the historical poster photographs listed above.
Includes:
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch, Attack on an Emigrant Train
Clausen Ale
Gibson's Rip Van Winkle Whiskey, 1892
Pleasant Valley Wine Co.
Tosetti Brewing
Wacker & Birk Brewing Co.
Circus
Includes the Barnum Monkey Tribe, Barnum Ox, Sells Brothers' dwarf elephant and hippopotomi.
Includes one advertisement in German.
Includes Adam Forepaugh's Circus and Menagerie; Aeriel the Flying Man (W. W. Cole); Be-Be the Flying Lady (W.C. Coup); President Garfield assassination tableaux (W.C. Coup).
Includes:
Alaskan, The
Arcadian, The, 1910
Around the World in 80 Days
Bad Man from Mexico, 1906
Beautiful Adventure, 1914
Dollar Princess, The, 1909
Fight, The
Gay Parisians, The, 1895
Gretna Green, 1902
Ham Tree, The, 1913
Iron King, The
Little Corporal, The, 1898
Little Terror, The, 1909
Marriage Market, The, 1913
M'lle Modeste, 1904
Mountain Climber, The, 1906
Naughty Anthony
Our Miss Gibbs, 1910
Patriot, The, 1908
Peg o' My Heart
Rollicking Girl, The, 1905
Runaway, The, 1911
Saratoga
Sergeant Bruce, 1905
Such a Little Queen, 1905
Sunshine Girl, The
Toreador, The, 1903
Includes:
Babes in Toyland, 1904
Chieftain, The, 1895
Fluffy Ruffles
Gypsy, The, 1912
Little Cherub, The
Quaker Girl, The
Storks, The, 1892
Includes:
Arsne Lupin, 1909
The Auctioneer, 1901
Barbara Frietchie, The Frederick Girl, 1900
Bedford's Hope, 1905
Bird of Paradise, 1913
Black Crook
Bonnie Scotland, 1895
Butterfly on the Wheel, 1912
Chantecler, 1911
Child of the Regiment, 1906
Curse of Drink, The, 1904
Damaged Goods
D'Arcy of the Guards
Darling of the Gods, The, 1903
Dawn of a To-Morrow, The, 1910 (written by Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of A Little Princess and A Secret Garden)
Easiest Way, The, 1907
Factory Girl, The, 1903
Fighting Hope, The, 1908
Fool of Fortune, 1896
For His Brother's Crime, 1903
Girl of the Golden West, The, 1906
Harvest Moon, The, 1909
Harvester, The, 1904
He Fell in Love with His Wife, 1912
Heart of the Klondike, 1897
Heart of Maryland, The, 1904
Hearts are Trumps, 1900
Hon. John Grigsby, 1901
John Mishler, One of the Finest
Lady Rose's Daughter, 1902
Last Stroke, A Story of Cuba's Fight for Freedom, 1900
Lion and the Mouse, The, 1904
Little Minister, The, 1897 (written by J.M. Barrie, author of Peter Pan)
Lost Paradise, The (written by David Belasco and Henry DeMille, Cecil B. DeMille's father)
Lottie the Poor Sales Lady, or, Death Before Dishonor, 1907
Maister of Woodbarrow, The
Mice and Men, 1903
Mile a Minute
Music Master, The, 1904
Night's Frolic
Ninety and Nine, The
Old Curiosity Shop, The, 1909
Parted on Her Bridal Tour, 1907
Peter Pan, 1907
Prince of India, The, 1905
Queen of the White Slaves, 1903
Rainbow, The, 1913
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, 1911
Rebel, The, 1900
Red Mill, The, 1908
Rose of the Rancho, The, 1907
Runnymede, 1895
Sidewalks of New York, The, 1895
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Speckled Band, The, 1910
Spoilers, The, 1907
Third Degree, The, 1898
Tree of Knowledege, The, 1898
Trelawny of the Wells, 1898
Trip to Chinatown
Uncle Tom's Cabin (produced by Jay Rial and featuring genuine trained bloodhounds)
Virginius
Warrens of Virginia, The, 1908 (written by William C. DeMille, brother of Cecil B. DeMille)
Way Down East, 1898
White Slave, The
Woman, The, 1911 (written by William C. DeMille, brother of Cecil B. DeMille)
Includes Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Moon Motor cars, Pontiac.
Includes Honda motorcycles, United States Tires.
Includes Chase and Sanborn, Folger's Coffee, Orange Squeeze soda.
Includes Honey Scotch Candies, Wrigley's, Adams California Fruit Gum.
Includes Campbell's Soup, Meadow Gold Butter, Borden's Milk.
Includes Lucky Strike, Kool and Camel.
Includes Robert Burns cigars, Prince Albert tobacco.
Photographs, negatives and slides depicting billboard advertisements, location shots, and images of bill-posting in progress, dating primarily from the 1960s-1970s. The photographs, negatives and slides were originally kept by Orr, but it is not clear whether Orr was directly involved in the images' production, or whether they were collected for other purposes. Also, there is no readily determined relation among the photographs, negatives and slides contained herein. While there may be some duplication of images found elsewhere in the collection, there is no evidence to link these photographs with other photgraphic or negative materials found in the papers.
Negatives bear no apparent relation to the modern poster photographs in the subseries above. Arranged by type and therein alphabetically.
Contains slides of billboard advertisements, location shots, and images of bill-posting in progress, originally housed in binders. There may be some duplication of images found elsewhere in the collection, but there is no evidence to link the slides with other photgraphic or negative materials found in the collection.
Sketches, drawings and paintings done by Orr at various stages in his career. The series is arranged into two subseries: Billboard and Poster Designs and Non-Advertising Sketches. The Billboard and Poster Designs subseries contains around 400 sketches of billboard designs, organized by product type and brand name. The Non-Advertising Sketches category contains sketches and drawings, along with a few small paintings, that provide a glimpse into the range of Orr's interests as an artist as well as revealing something of his artistic method. There are numerous studies of male and female forms and faces, caricatures, still life drawings, along with street scenes and backdrop art for outdoor advertising. Also included is a copy of a Vanity Fair cover which Orr did in 1935, and several illustrations for the book jackets of popular novels. Arranged alphabetically. Oversized materials have been removed to Oversize Folders 2-9.
[See also Oversize Folders 2-6.]
Includes a note written by Orr in the first folder.
Includes self-portraits, studies of female forms and backdrop art. Some items removed to Oversize Folders 7-9.
Includes covers for Mission to Mackinac, The Outlander, Sherman: Fighting Prophet, 1776 Revolution, Vanity Fair, 1933 and 1935.
Oversize folders 4, 5, 7, and 8 have been reboxed into Box 38.
Includes three original oil paintings Wilkinson made for the OAAA campaign To Make a Long Story Short--Use Outdoor Advertising.
Images include Arcadian fertilizer, Allied Chemical, Cheer, Colgate, Craig, Drake's cookies, Ford, Hamm's beer, Heinz soup, Kenl Ration, Life Saver, Nash automobiles, Ritz crackers, and Universal range.
Images include Alpine cigarettes, Arrow shirts, Bowery Savings Bank, Bufferin, Busch beer, Chesterfield cigarettes, Colgate, Dacron, Defense Bonds, Dime Savings Bank, Dristan, DuPont, Folex Herbicides, Fram filters, Gillette, Greater New York Relief Fund, Ipana, IPNA, I.W. Harper whiskey, Kodl, Kool cigarettes, Listerine, Lucky Strike, Mazola oil, Micrin mouthwash, Muriel cigars, People's Drug, Philip Morris Company, Polar ice cream, Rexall Drug, Schenley Reserve whiskey, Teem, TESTA car, Trommers beer, Verney fabrics, Viceroy cigarettes, White Rose tea and outdoor advertising industry promotion.
Additional posters; see above for content.
Includes landscapes, still life and form studies, portraits.
Additional sketches, see above for content.
Historical Note
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| 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.
Subject Headings
- Orr, Garrett, 1907-1988.
- Davis, Floyd MacMillan, 1896-1966.
- McLeod, Ronald, 1897-1977.
- Petty, George, 1894-1975.
- Scott, Howard, 1902-1983.
- Stahl, Ben, 1910-1987.
- Whitcomb, Jon.
- Wilkinson, J. Walter (James Walter).
- Advertising--Cigarettes--United States.
- Advertising--Circus--United States.
- Advertising--History.
- Advertising--United States--19th century.
- Advertising--United States--20th century.
- Advertising, Outdoor--Posters.
- Advertising, Outdoor--United States.
- Drawing--20th century.
- Illustrators--United States.
- Minstrel shows.
- Musicals--United States.
- Painting, American--20th century.
- Posters, American--19th century.
- Posters, American--20th century.
- Posters--Design.
- Posters--History.
- Black-and-white negatives.
- Black-and-white photographs.
- Color slides.
- Color photographs.
- Drawings.
- Paintings.
- Watercolors.
- Bristol-Myers Co. Ltd.
- Brown & Williamson.
- Corn Products Refining Company.
- Gillette Company.
- Outdoor Advertising, Inc.
- Seagrams.
- Verney Corp.
- John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Garrett Orr Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
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.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.