MenuGuide to the Publicity Clock Company Advertising Cards and Brochures, circa 1920s and undated
Abstract
The Publicity Clock Company, an advertising firm in New York City from around 1915 to at least 1930, placed advertisements in local movie theaters by means of the Publicity Clock, a device that projected the image of a working clock face with a repeating sequence of advertisements displayed within the dial. Throughout the 1920s and perhaps later, the company was located at 105 West 40th Street and run for a number of years by Leslie Neuberger.
The collection includes chiefly advertising cards and brochures for the Publicity Clock Company. The collection also includes a holiday greeting card, a warning notice to advertisers, and a fill-in form postcard addressed to Ad-Traction Clock Co. Except for the postcard which was printed for use during the 1920s, none of the materials are dated.
Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University
- Creator
- Publicity Clock Company.
- Title
- Publicity Clock Company Advertising Cards and Brochures, circa 1920s and undated
- Language of Material
- English
- Extent
- 0.1 Linear Feet, 8 Items
- Location
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Collection Overview
The collection includes chiefly advertising cards and brochures for the Publicity Clock Company. Each advertising item has an illustration of a theater audience with a Publicity Clock projecting a clock face and advertisement for the company itself next to the movie screen. The company name, address, and slogans, including the best and most refined advertising medium of the present day and always before the eyes of the public, complete the company's advertisement. The two brochures, intended primarily for movie theater owners and managers, also explain in detail what the Publicity Clock was, how it worked, and the advantages of using the device. The collection also includes a holiday greeting card from the company, a warning notice to advertisers about people falsely claiming to be employees of Publicity Clock Co., and a fill-in form postcard addressed to Ad-Traction Clock Co. at the same mailing address as Publicity Clock Co. Except for the postcard which was printed for use during the 1920s, none of the materials are dated, although a different mailing address and device capacity of 8 rather than 12 advertisements suggest one brochure pre-dates 1919. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Advertising, Sales & Marketing History.
Administrative Information
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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 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
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Expand AllHistorical Note
The Publicity Clock Company, an advertising firm in New York City from around 1915 to at least 1930, placed advertisements in local movie theaters by means of the Publicity Clock, a device that projected the image of a working clock face with a repeating sequence of advertisements displayed within the dial. The Publicity Clock Co. engaged advertisers, collected fees from them, and supplied the advertising transparencies for the device. Theaters received a portion of the proceeds for projecting the colorful image on the wall near the movie screen.
Throughout the 1920s and perhaps later, the company was located at 105 West 40th Street and run for a number of years by Leslie Neuberger, the brother of Roy R. Neuberger, the founder of Neuberger Berman. The mechanism that intermittently changed the advertisements was patented by John U. Barr on July 20, 1915, patent number 1,146,839. Although not represented in this collection, the company was later known for the slogan, Let Time Tell Your Story.
Subject Headings
- Publicity Clock Company.
- Advertising agencies--New York (State)--New York--History--20th century.
- Advertising clocks--History--20th century.
- Advertising-- History--20th century.
- Advertising specialties--History--20th century.
- Publicity--History--20th century.
- New York (N.Y.)--Commerce--History--20th century.
- Advertising cards.
- Brochures.
- Postcards.
- John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Publicity Clock Company Advertising Cards and Brochures, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Provenance
The Publicity Clock Company Advertising Cards and Brochures were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2009.
Processing Information
Processed by Danielle Moore, October 2010
Encoded by Danielle Moore, October 2010
Accession 2009-0252 is described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.