A lipstick tester from the Consumer Reports Archives.
Collection Overview
The Consumer Reports Archives arrived at Duke in 2019. The archive--which spans roughly 2,800 linear feet of material--document the history of the organization from its founding in 1936 to its emergence as the preeminent consumer education and advocacy organization in the country. "For historians and other social scientists who wish to research or teach about economic life during the American century," Edward Balleisen, Duke Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary studies states,
"the Consumer Reports archive will beckon as an essential source of evidence about technological change, consumer culture, business-state relations, the evolving dynamics of consumer protection and non-governmental arbiters of value."
The archive includes archival materials, books, serials, photographs, and artifacts as well as collections documenting the broader consumer movement in the United States. Taken together, they offer a portrait of consumer advocacy and education in the 20th century.
