Descriptive Summary
Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements,
1910-1954 and undated
Strobridge and Co. Lith.
9 Linear Feet; 7166
Items
David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke
University
For current information on the location of
these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
English.
Lithography company founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in about 1847.
The Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements span the years 1910 through 1954, documenting much of the company's printed poster advertising work from that era. All images are black and white. The core of the collection, the Image Files Series, consists of around 1000 8x10 photographs ("A" images) of advertising designs, and a similar number of smaller printed cards (approx. 5x7 to 5x8, "B" images) of outdoor advertisement designs. The images are accompanied by three different Access Files to be used to browse the collection. These files are in the form of image photocopies ( "job tickets" ) and catalog cards. Most images are of poster (billboard or transit card) designs, but there are also some photographs of tabletop display advertising, window cards and other point-of-purchase displays. The collection documents advertising during a time when transportation was changing in America, and the automobile was gaining in popularity. Billboards began to replace smaller posters, accommodating a more mobile public. It was then that Strobridge turned from its emphasis on circus and theater posters (not represented in the collection) to billboard ads for mass-produced products. Many different products are featured, but perhaps the two most prominent and well-represented campaigns are those for Camel cigarettes and Palmolive soaps. The images form a valuable reference collection of advertising designs, relevant for researchers from a variety of disciplines including commercial artwork, advertising history and design, and popular culture. The collection documents outdoor advertising design during the first part of the twentieth century for what were mostly national brands. Numerous examples are from the era of hand-drawn and painted designs, often signed by artists including Norman Rockwell, Howard Scott, and Dr. Seuss (see his designs for the product Flit). Rarely, an artist is listed on the back of the image. Later designs from the 1940s and 1950s include photographic images, often peppered with celebrity likenesses including John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, and Charlton Heston. Many of the celebrity advertisements promoted tobacco products. Some designs are clearly war-era, such as advertisements depicting a 1943 female factory worker, or one from Schlitz (1942) mentioning war bonds.
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 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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Strobridge Lithographing Company
Advertisements, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke
University.
Provenance
The Strobridge Lithographing Company Advertisements were transferred
to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library by Fairleigh
Dickinson University Library in 1998 and 2000.
Processing of this collection was supported by the National
Endowment for the Humanities.
Processing Information
The collection came to Duke in good order with all of the "A" images
(mostly 8x10 photographs of advertisements) together and all of the "B" images
(advertisements on 5x7 and 5x8 printed cards) together. The "job tickets,"
which are actually
photocopies of all the images, have been
copied again onto acid-free paper. The original set is in numerical order. The
second set was put in order according to product type categories used by the
outdoor advertising industry. Thus, there are three access files to all images
in the collection: (1)
photocopies in order by number, (2)
photocopies in order by product type or
service (topic), and (3) a
card file with descriptive information ordered
by the pictured advertisement's brand name. The card file does contain some
generic product-type headings also, e.g., gas ovens. It arrived with the
collection and appears to be incomplete.
The Access Files (the photocopied job tickets and card file) and
Image Files (photographs and printed cards) all refer to an "A" and "B"
numbering system. Each file, however, does not have exactly the same number of
items, and so certain series may be missing some individual numbers.
Photographic materials have been sleeved in
polypropylene.
As of October 2002, the advertisements in this collection were not
indexed in the library's Resource for Outdoor Advertising Description (ROAD)
database.
Processed by Lisa C. Chandek-Stark and Sierra Stults; finding aid by
Lisa C. Chandek-Stark and Kristen Kramer
Completed September 2002
Encoded by Lisa C. Chandek-Stark
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
Historical Note
ca. 1847
Elijah C. Middleton founded an engraving
(steel and copperplate) establishment in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
1849
W. R. Wallace, a lithographic engraver, joined
Middleton to form the partnership of
Middleton and Wallace.
1854
Hines Strobridge entered the partnership and
the company became
Middleton, Wallace, and Company
(Lithographers). General trends in publications showed a transition
from woodblock and engraving to
lithography. Early prints were mainly black and
white.
1857
Martin B. Ewing entered the
partnership.
1858
Wallace left the firm, which became
Middleton, Strobridge and Company.
1859
Dominique C. Fabronius joined the partnership.
"In this establishment are embraced all kinds of
lithographing such as views of cities and
buildings, landscapes, etc., in one or more colors-portraits, maps, bonds,
certificates of stock, drafts, checks in all kinds of commercial work almost
equaling the finest engraving on steel. Value of work per annum, $25,000. Hands
employed 20." (from
John W. Merten article, listed below)
1860
Fabronius and Ewing left the partnership.
1861
Middleton left the partnership. The company's
lithographs could now simulate oil portraits.
During the Civil War era, the firm was credited with producing the first
oil portraits of Washington, Lincoln, and
Grant, among others.
1865
The name of Middleton was dropped from the firm. It became
"Strobridge and Gerlach," or
"Strobridge, Gerlach and Wagner." The company
moved to Pike's Opera House Building.
1866
A fire in Pike's Opera House caused the
Strobridge Company to lose all possessions,
including its early records.
1867
Strobridge purchased
"E. C. Middleton and Co.," publishers of oil
portraits. A reorganization and incorporation took place under the name
"Strobridge and Company." With the invention
of power machinery and the lithographic steam press, the industry saw an era of
rapid development. For the next 25 years, Strobridge would be the largest
producer of circus and theatrical posters in the country.
1871?
William Sumner became president of the company.
1872?
Hines Strobridge was named as manager.
1878
Matt Morgan presumably crafted the first large multiple-sheet
poster. The first large (16-sheet)
outdoor poster (
Eliza Crossing the
Ice) was exhibited at Fountain Square in
Cincinnati.
1880
The firm changed its name to "The
Strobridge Lithographing Company."
1881
George Fox became president.
1882
Development began on a large modern building on Canal St. in
Cincinnati. Clifford B. Wright was named president.
1883
Hines Strobridge took over the company presidency (no longer
listed as manager). Procter and Gamble's
Ivory Soap was advertised on an outdoor poster
developed by the firm. ("[This] is noteworthy on several counts: first, because
it marks the recognition by industry of the large
outdoor poster as an effective advertising
medium; second, because it is reputed to be the first time that a photograph
was 'blown up' to furnish the pictorial subject of a poster." (from
John W. Merten article listed below)
1887
On December 1, a fire destroyed the Canal St. building. In
July, the company moved back into the rebuilt building.
1896-ca.1912
Strobridge produced theater posters (by artists Mucha and Paul
Jones, among others). The firm also issued company calendars, highlighting its
renowned work in color by artist Harry Birdwell and others.
1909
Hines Strobridge died. His son
Nelson Strobridge became president of the
company.
ca. 1910-1920
Strobridge began making posters for motion pictures (e.g. for
producer Pathe). Posters were now printed from zinc, not stone, and the offset
press was introduced. A number of additional advancements changed the way the
company functioned. The focus of the firm turned from entertainment to the
commercial poster. This era marked the growth of the automotive industry and
thus of commercial outdoor advertising.
1913
William Merten was named company general
superintendent.
1916
Merten became vice president.
1922
Merten no longer held position of general
superintendent.
1925
The firm expanded by acquiring
Henderson Lithographing Co. in Norwood.
Through Merten, the firm participated in the creation and direction of the
Lithographic Technical Foundation.
1937
The entire firm relocated to the Norwood plant. Nelson
Strobridge became chairman of the board. William Merten became president (and
was also active as director of the Lithographers' National Association). John
G. Strobridge (grandson of Hines) became vice president.
1960
H. S. Crocker, Inc. acquired Strobridge Lithographing Co.
(listed as division until 1970)
NOTE: Research and text for timeline by Kristen Kramer. Source of
information and direct quotations: John W. Merten,
Stone by Stone along a
Hundred Years with the House of Strobridge,
Bulletin of the Historical and
Philosophical Society of Ohio, January, 1950, 8:1.
The
Strobridge Lithographing Company, especially
well-known for its production of circus and theatrical posters from the late
1800s and early 1900s, also produced a variety of printed items including maps,
portraits, diplomas, counter displays, and blotters. The collection at Duke
University contains only printed poster advertising work created from 1910
through 1954. The firm was established in
Cincinnati, but a New York address can also be
seen on the backs of some images in this collection.
Other Strobridge collections - including Strobridge images in color -
may be found in a variety of repositories including the following: National
Museum of American Art (Washington, D.C.), Cincinnati Art Museum (Ohio),
Cincinnati Historical Society (Ohio), Cincinnati Museum Center (Ohio), Public
Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio), Henry Ford Museum and
Greenfield Village (Dearborn, Mich.), Harvard University (Boston, Mass.), New
York Public Library, Illinois State University-Milner Library (Normal, Ill.),
Ringling Museum (Sarasota, Fla.), Circus World Museum (Baraboo, Wisc.), and the
Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.) among others.
In addition to the Merten article cited above, see the following
sources for additional information:
Art as Image: Prints and
Promotion in Cincinnati, Ohio. Alice M. Cornell, Editor. Athens, Ohio:
Ohio University Press in association with the University of Cincinnati Digital
Press, 2001.
Alden N. Monroe,
Bigtop to Bijou: The Golden
Age of the Show Poster,
Queen City Heritage
1984, 42:2
Collection Overview
The
Strobridge Lithographing Company
Advertisements span the years 1910 through 1954, documenting much of
the company's printed
poster advertising work from that era. All images are
black and white. The core of the collection, the
Image Files Series,
consists of around 1000
8x10 photographs ("A" images) of
advertising designs, and a similar number of smaller
printed cards (approx. 5x7 to 5x8, "B" images) of
outdoor advertisement designs. The images are
accompanied by three different
Access Files to be used to
browse the collection. These files are in the form of image
photocopies (job
tickets) and
catalog cards. Most images are of
poster (billboard or transit card) designs, but there
are also some
photographs of
tabletop display advertising,
window cards and other
point-of-purchase displays. The collection documents
advertising during a time when transportation was changing in America, and the
automobile was gaining in popularity.
Billboards began to replace smaller
posters, accommodating a more mobile public. It was
then that
Strobridge turned from its emphasis on circus and
theater posters (not represented in the collection) to
billboard ads for mass-produced products. Many
different products are featured, but perhaps the two most prominent and
well-represented campaigns are those for
Camel cigarettes and
Palmolive soaps. The images form a valuable reference
collection of
advertising designs, relevant for researchers from a
variety of disciplines including
commercial artwork,
advertising history and design, and
popular culture.
The collection documents
outdoor advertising design during the first part of
the twentieth century for what were mostly national brands. Numerous examples
are from the era of hand-drawn and painted designs, often signed by artists
including
Norman Rockwell,
Howard Scott, and
Dr. Seuss (see his designs for the product Flit).
Rarely, an artist is listed on the back of the image. Later designs from the
1940s and 1950s include
photographic images, often peppered with
celebrity likenesses including John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, and Charlton Heston.
Many of the celebrity advertisements promoted
tobacco products. Some designs are clearly war-era,
such as advertisements depicting a 1943 female factory worker, or one from
Schlitz (1942) mentioning war bonds.
The first series, the
Access Files, can be used
to browse the collection and narrow a search for an individual advertisement
before moving on to the
Image Files themselves.
Items in the
Image Files are labeled
with an "A" or a "B" indication. The "A" group holds the larger
8x10 photographs and the "B" group contains
smaller images (primarily 5x7 and 5x8) printed on cards. There is some
duplication between the "A" and "B" groups. The "A" images contain
advertisements from the 1910s through the 1950s, and the "B" advertisements
were created mainly in the 1920s and 1930s. All
point-of-purchase advertising is in the "A" group.
There is often indication of the size poster the design was made into (e.g.
24-sheet), a design or perhaps job number (e.g. Camel No. 93), and a title
(e.g.
Perfect for a Camel
advertisement with the text "Perfect Taste"). Most designs are presumed to have
been created and published by
Strobridge, but there are some images stamped "W. J.
Rankin Corp." Some images show billboards as they were posted; some of these
show the nameplate of the outdoor advertising company that owned the billboard
structures.
The name of the collection is seen on folders and sometimes elsewhere
as the
"Strobridge Lithography Company," but the
materials themselves as well as other documentation reveal the name to be
"Strobridge Lithographing Company" at the time
when most of this collection was created. Almost all advertisements are in
English, presumably for posting in the U.S., but a few, such as Spur cigarette
advertisements, are in Spanish.
Related collections in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library include a number of other outdoor advertising collections,
such as the Outdoor Advertising Slide Library, the John Paver Papers, the John
Browning Papers, the Duplex Advertising Co. Records, the H.E. Fisk Collection
of War Effort Mobilization Campaigns, the Outdoor Advertising Association of
America Records, the Outdoor Advertising Poster Design Collection, the Garrett
Orr Papers, the R.C. Maxwell Company Records, the Howard Scott Papers, and the
John E. Brennan Outdoor Advertising Survey Reports. There are also numerous
published items from the era of this collection which provide even more context
for the designs.
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.
-
Advertising--History
-
Advertising layout and typography
-
Advertising, Outdoor--Design and construction
-
Advertising, Outdoor--Posters
-
Advertising, Outdoor--United States
-
Advertising--Posters
-
Billboards--United States
-
Cards
-
Commercial art--United States
-
Lithography--20th Century--History
-
Lithography, American - 20th Century--History
-
Black-and-white photographs
-
Posters, American--20th century--United States
-
Posters--Design
-
Posters--United States
-
Signs and signboards
-
Strobridge and Co. Lith.
-
John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising &
Marketing History.
Contents of Collection
Access Files
This series contains three subseries which should assist the user
in searching for individual advertisements within the
Image Files. The first
two
Access Files subseries
are
photocopies (called here "job tickets") of all
the images in the
Image Files arranged
in two different ways. The first group of job tickets is arranged as the images
are, in number order. The second subseries is an exact copy of the first, but
arranged by advertising topic, described below. Each file, however, does not
have exactly the same number of items, and so certain series may be missing
some individual numbers. The third subseries is the
card file, comprised of cards with brief
description and indexed terms from the advertisements. The images contain
additional information recorded on the verso side.
SUBSERIES ONE: Job Tickets
In Order by Number
1
A-1 to A-135
A-136 to A-280
A-281 to A-433
A-434 to A-570
A-571 to A-712
A-713 to A-850
A-851 to A-991
A-993 to A-1081
B-1 to B-129
2
B-130 to B-270
B-271 to B-417
B-418 to B-558
B-559 to B-712
B-713 to B-849
B-850 to B-1009
SUBSERIES TWO: Job Tickets
In Order by Topic
2
Apparel
This category includes advertisements for clothing brands,
boots, and watches. Clothing mainly includes overalls, union suits, swim suits,
and hosiery with brand names such as Munsingwear and Admiration Costume
Hosiery.
Retail
This category includes one advertisement for Efird's
Department Store in Charlotte, NC, and one for the "future home of" Stewart's
York Road Store and shopping center.
Media
This category holds advertisements for outdoor
advertising.
Amusement and Entertainment
This category includes advertisements for live arts
productions and amusements including a Porgy and Bess benefit, a Lawrence Welk
production, and an amusement park.
Public Service
This category includes advertising created for charitable
causes such as Christmas Seals or by non-profit organizations. Government
organizations are listed under Business and Technology, but government
sponsorship of an advertisement was often difficult to discern. Check this
category and Business and Technology for a comprehensive search of
government-sponsored or government-related advertisements. Political issue
advertisements may be found here and include presumably World War II era
cartoons of the
"Axis Ape." Some Public Service-type
advertisements were placed under the sponsor's usual category, if the sponsor's
name was an obvious part of the advertisement. For instance an advertisement
saying "Buy War Bonds... courtesy of Coca-Cola Products" may have been placed
under Beverages. At least one advertisement in this category is signed by
Norman Rockwell. Themes include Christmas as well as World War I and World War
II troop support. Organizations represented include the Cincinnati War Chest,
Red Cross, a state fair, and churches.
Business and Technology
This category includes advertisements for the following: the
armed forces (such as recruitment posters), including one for a London
battalion, building products, business to business services, government
organizations, and life insurance (Lincoln National Life). Upsom Boards is one
product featured as well as an industrial exposition and heating and air.
Government-sponsored advertisements can be
found in this category but if sponsorship was unclear, advertisements may have
been put into the Public Service category.
Beverages
(2 folders)
This category includes advertisements for alcoholic beverages,
especially beer and whiskey, and non-alcoholic beverages, especially coffee,
tea, and some sodas. Evaporated milk is most often found in the Food category.
For a comprehensive search of all beverages, also check the Food category.
3
Automotive
(2 folders)
This category includes advertisements for automotive parts,
service, and manufacturers; motor oil; and tires. Gasoline and gas stations
were placed under Travel and Transportation (T and T). Advertisements showing
motor oil and gasoline (and/or car service) were put in the category of the
more prominent item. A search for all gas stations should be completed in both
this category and T and T. Autos frequently mentioned include Packard, Nash,
Ford, Lincoln-Zephyr, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Oldsmobile. Other brands mentioned
frequently within this category include Oilzum, Union Oil, Gulf, Esso, Conoco,
Dunlop, and Tuxedo tires.
Travel and Transportation
(2 folders)
This category includes advertisements for airlines, gasoline,
and gasoline stations. Since gas stations, but not car service, are included in
this category, search both this and the Automotive category for an
advertisement featuring a company that sold gas and provided auto service. The
two most common brands are Esso and Gulf. Atlantic and Richfield were among
others. The only airline advertisements are for American Airlines.
Food
(2 folders)
This category includes advertisements for candy, food,
ingredients, prepared foods, and produce. Gum, pet food, and tobacco products
were most often placed in Consumer Goods and Services. Drinks, including coffee
and milk, can usually be found in the Beverages category. The largest subgroup
within this category is baked goods including ads for matzos. Brand names
include Merita, Tastykake, Hostess, Baur's Aunt Hannah's Bread, and
American-Maid Bread. Other kitchen products represented include Fleischmann's
Yeast, Davis and Rumford Baking Powders, Snowdrift, Pillsbury Flours, Nucoa and
Jelke Margarines, and Purity and Best Foods Mayonnaises. Other food items in
the collection include Kellogg's Cereals, Powerhouse and Milky Way Candy Bars,
Eline's Sweet Milk Chocolate, Reymers' candies, and assorted fruits and meat
products. There are also some dairy products including evaporated milk (Pet),
and Tech Ice Cream.
Consumer Goods and Services
This category includes advertisements for the following:
appliances, electronics, gum, health and beauty products, household products,
over-the-counter medicines, pet food and supplies, sporting goods, tobacco
products, toys, and vitamins. Tobacco is the largest sub-group by far,
dominated by
Camel Cigarettes. Prince Albert and Lucky
Strike are also common brands. The second-largest group is comprised of
soap advertisements. Various types of soaps
are represented including Palmolive, White King, Crystal White, Sapolio, and
Peet's. Other toiletry items include Listerine Antiseptic, Palmolive Shaving
Cream, and Dr. Lyon's Tooth Powder. Gums mentioned include Clark's Teaberry and
Adam's Black Jack. Other products include home fuels like Berwind Briquets,
Parker Pens, Grunow Radios, Frigidaire, Graybar, and Crosley appliances, animal
feeds, insect repellents, and other items. Search for watches in the Apparel
category. Cars, motor oil, and car-related products can be found mostly in the
Automotive category. Gasoline can be found in the Travel and Transportation
category.
Consumer Goods and Services-Tobacco
(2 folders)
4
Consumer Goods and Services-Tobacco
(2 folders)
Consumer Goods and Services-Soaps
(2 folders)
Consumer Goods and
Services-Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
This category includes advertisements which did not easily fit
into one of the other categories, or ads in which the product was unclear. One
image shows a Strobridge exhibit of many small advertisements.
SUBSERIES THREE: Card File
Cards are in order primarily by advertisement brand name with
occasional headings for product types such as "public service" and "used cars."
This file is incomplete. Use the card file in conjunction with the job tickets
(ordered by topic) for a comprehensive search.
5
A to Parker
6
Peets to Zest
Image Files
This series contains original photographs and printed cards of all
the collection's images.
"A" Images
(8x10 Photographs)
Most advertisements are poster (billboard-type) designs shown
against white backgrounds. Approximate dates can be found on the backs of most
photos. These dates are unconfirmed.
7
A-1 to A-130
8
A-131 to A-259
9
A-260 to A-374
10
A-375 to A-488
11
A-489 to A-626
12
A-627 to A-735
13
A-736 to A-856
14
A-857 to A-967
15
A-968 to A-1099
"B" Images
(Printed Cards, approximately
5x8)
16
B-1 to B-47
B-49 to B-91
B-92 to B-136
B-137 to B-194
B-195 to B-243
B-244 to B-291
B-293 to B-338
B-339 to B-392
17
B-393 to B-441
B-442 to B-497
B-498 to B-549
B-550 to B-609
B-610 to B-662
B-663 to B-713
B-714 to B-768
18
B-769 to B-827
B-829 to B-887
B-888 to B-935
B-936 to B-986
B-987 to B-1014