A database provides keyword, date, and location access to the images in the Tobacco Advertising category of this web project. The database includes terms deemed most likely to be useful to a range of users of the EAA project.

Below is a list of the database fields, with a description of each term, that you will find in the pull-down menus on the Tobacco Advertising Search Page. For simple, narrow searches, just enter the keyword you are searching (e.g. Allen & Ginter, Ellen Terry, plug tobacco, etc.) and choose the appropriate term in the pull-down menus on the Search Page. If there is a match with an advertisement in this category, you will be able to view it; if not, the search engine will report "no hits." (Entering a keyword such as "plug tobacco" with the term "All" on the pull-down menu will ensure a search across all terms in the Tobacco Advertising Category.)

To search across all eleven categories in the EAA project (not just the Tobacco Advertising images), go to the EAA General Search page. On that page you will find guidance about using search terms for cross-category searching.

The first half of the list below reflects the Keyword or Field terms. Database fields representing Illustration and Special Features searches are grouped together in the second half.

(1) Keyword or Field Terms

Ad (Database) Number:  A unique letter/number identifier assigned to each item.

Item Title:   Series title or headline of an individual advertisement. The "headline" is usually the line of text that is bolded in the advertisement, or key phrase that draws a reader into the advertisement. "Image #__" is found after the Item Title if the advertising item is in a series, or there is more than one item with the same headline.

Title:   The name of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library collection in which the advertisement is found. Parts of three separate collections are included in the Tobacco Advertisements.

Year:  Year item was printed; usually taken from the date written on the item itself. "n.d." in this space means no date was found on the item.

Company:  The name of the company advertising the product. The names are given as they appear in the advertisement.

Product:   What the advertisement was trying to sell - Duke Cameo Cigarettes, smoking tobacco, etc. If there were more than two specific products advertised, the term 'Various' was applied in this field.

Theme:   term(s) describing the major focus, or theme, of an advertisement or set of images (Sports, Actresses, Nations, etc.). Often this term is taken from the item title. A list of all these "Theme Names" are available on the Tobacco Advertising Theme Names page. You can search on a specific theme name directly from that page.

Item Type:   The physical form of the advertising item - insert card, poster, fabric, etc.

Series or Set Name:   Many of the Tobacco Advertising cards were issued as part of a set or series, which may have been collected into a printed "album" of most of the cards in that series. A list of all Series Names in the Tobacco Category is available. Searching directly on one series or set name from this page is also an option.

Illustrator:   Name of the artist of a drawing in the advertisement. This category may include lithographer and engraving company names.

Notes:   This field was used to enter any overflow information from other fields (such as extra company names), as well as to add information specific to an advertisement that could be useful to researchers. Examples would include notes about images that were unusual, or especially interesting. Searching on "All" fields from the Search page insures that key words in the Notes field will be included in search returns.

(2) Illustration and Special Features

Some of the ads in this category may contain more than one kind of illustration. The predominant illustration will be recorded with the appropriate Illustration term. Additional illustrations may be described in the "Notes" section.

Black/White (B/W) Drawing in Illustration:  The illustration contains a drawing in black and white.

Cartoon in Illustration:  Advertisement with an illustration that is a cartoon-type drawing, usually consisting of one panel, or containing a well-known cartoon figure.

Color Drawing or Lithograph in Illustration:  The illustration is in color. This category encompasses drawings and lithographs.

Photograph in Illustration:  The illustration is a photograph, or includes a photo in a larger illustration.

Cultures:   This site includes historical materials that may contain offensive language or negative stereotypes reflecting the attitudes toward a culture or language at a particular period or place in the past. These items are presented as part of the historical record.

African/African-Americans

Asians

Europeans

Latin Americans/Caribbeans

Middle East/Arabs

Native Americans

Pacific Islanders




Children:   Noted when children are present in the advertisement in any significant way.

Sports:   Noted if a sport or athlete is a major feature of the advertisement. The type of sport in the advertisement is usually given in the "Notes" section.

Military:   Noted if the military (ships, weapons, people in uniform) is prominently displayed in the ad.

All Items in "Series":   Identifies all advertisements issued as a series or set with the same title or emphasis (e.g. "A Short History of..." or "Governors" series). A list of the Series Names found in the Tobacco Category is available to allow searching for a particular series. Further information about tobacco advertising series is found in More about Tobacco Advertising.