More than 7,000 vintage ads at your fingertips

It's scarcely a secret that - like many of you as well - I wildly adore vintage ads and images. Be they for use here in blog posts or my own personal inspiration, rarely does a day go by when I don't spend time peering at yesteryear ads (and, fairly often, pinning them in the process).

I love the artistry, the workmanship, the creativity, (at times) the quirkiness, the immense variety, and the sense of how life was perceived (if only from a marketing standpoint) of early and mid-twentieth century advertisements. Many were illustrated by some of the foremost artists of their day, whereas others continue beautiful photography, and some are little more than text, but those words usually speak volumes both for the product in the ad itself, and for how the company behind it viewed their audience.

In today's world we're constantly bombarded with a seemingly unending array of ads across all manner of media channels, but back in the 1930s or 40s, for example, less of these channels existed (TV was in its infancy and the internet as we know it today was still decades away) and so marketers often relied on print ads as their most powerful and important way of reaching a broad demographic. I think that this point is part of the reason why so many vintage ads were so effective, and why they continue to appeal to many people to this very day.

In the hunt for vintage Christmas images to use here last December, I ran across something that I don't encounter all that often any more (having years of online ad hunting experience under my belt, that is): a new (to me) source of vintage ads.

This isn't just a wee little roundup, or even a modest sized one, we're talking about a full on Aladdin’s cave of old school advertisements, care of the fine folks at Duke University. Their Ad*Access website is an amazing digital collection of more than 7,000 vintage ads that are free to be viewed by anyone, and most of which are available for personal use (they have a copyright information page, if you need more specifics regarding terms of use).

At present, the ads in this hefty online collection span the years from 1915 to 1955, and are primarily centered around five categories: radio, television, transportation, beauty and hygiene, and World War II. According to the collection's about page, the "advertisements are from the J. Walter Thompson Company Competitive Advertisements Collection of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History in Duke University's David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library".

For the first couple of days after I discovered this site, I spent as much of my free time as possible, pouring though the bevy of fascinating, entertaining, and sometimes just plain old practical, ads it houses, yet only began to scratch the surface of viewing all 7,000+ that appear there.

Over time I plan to check them all out, especially since I'll then have a solid knowledge of exactly what the collection contains, and thus can (hopefully) call to mind an ad I saw there that would be perfect for a future post while I'm putting it together.

Beyond the blogging side of things though, it's just plain fun to pursue so very many terrific 1910s-1950s ads (like the elegantly beautiful Elizabeth Arden advert from 1936 pictured below) in one handy-dandy spot.





I hope that you find Duke University's Ad*Access digital library as fascinating, helpful, and enjoyable as I did - and that you unearth an ad or two (or five hundred!) that you can use for your own vintage image related purposes, too.

Happy advertisement viewing, my dears!

Stay in shape vintage style with the Jell-O Girl

✯ Day 101 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Long before Jane Fonda, Suzanne Somers or Chuck Norris had workout videos on the market (or long before, for that matter, video tapes even existed!), Jell-O brand gelatine's utterly adorable little bobbed haired, rosy checked girl was telling the viewing public how to stay in shape.

First introduced in 1902, the real life Jell-O lass was called Elizabeth King, and she appeared in numerous ads for the company during the early days of the 20th century. As time went on and Elizabeth grew up, she was more often portrayed as an illustrated character who very much resembled many children of the day, and instantly won a place in the hearts of dessert loving folks everywhere.

 

Of all the ads I've seen featuring the Jell-O Girl, I think that this delightful guide to doing simple, healthful stretches is perhaps my favourite. I love the juxtaposition of pairing a sugary dessert with working out and trying to stay fit.

The two make for unlikely bedfellows, yet somehow they jive here - setting as well as a properly prepared mould full of quivering, sweet gelatine. It's as though the Jell-O Girl is saying that if you follow her advise and do these 12 easy stretching exercises, you'll be able to keep from putting on any extra jiggle care of the very product she's representing.

In this timelessly lovely vintage Jell-O ad from the 1920s (which comes via Edible Creations on Flickr), the focus in in fact in no way on gelatine itself, but instead on Jell-O Girl and her apparent desire to help eaters of her brand's scrumptious treats stay fit and trim.

It's charming ad that can't help but make you smile, and perhaps rather effectively, still manages to put the word "Jell-O" in your mind and, as I no doubt imagine the company's execs intended all along, on your shopping list - after all, you've got these wonderful Jell-O Girl exercises to help counterbalance those pesky dessert calories.

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe – Scalloped Tomatoes

Sometimes the name of this recipe raises a few eyebrows, but if you’re a fan of scalloped potatoes or onions, or like stuffed tomatoes, than there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy the simple, beautiful vegetables flavours in this old fashioned dish.

A classic amongst farmers and those with home gardens alike, this inexpensive casserole recipe can be whipped up with just a few simple ingredients, yet is an absolute treat. Easily made vegetarian/vegan by swapping the butter for vegan margarine, this dish is wonderful for crowds (it multiples like a dream) and has been a hit, in my experience, with dinner guests of all ages.


{This colourful vintage ad from 1960 from Del Monte Stewed Tomatoes almost looks as though it could be for the very scalloped tomato recipe in this post! :) Image via jackie121467’s Flickr stream.}


Let your imagination run wild with this versatile recipe by adding in fresh herbs, different veggies (for example eggplant instead of celery or leeks in place of onions), or even tossing some of your favourite cheese in with the bread crumb topping.

Flavourful, filling (but not heavy), and perfect with an utter myriad of other foods, this delicious recipe bursts with summertime flavours, yet is equally satisfying on the chilliest of winter days.



Scalloped Tomatoes


Ingredients

•1 19oz (540ml) can of stewed tomatoes, chopped into quarters (if desired, they can certainly be left whole)

•3 tbsp white, yellow or red onion, finely chopped

•1/4 cup green (bell) pepper, chopped

•3 tbsp celery, finely chopped

•3 tbsp flour

•4 tsp white sugar

•1 tsp kosher or sea salt

•1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

•2/3 cup soft bread crumbs (easily made from a loaf of day old bakery bread)

•2 tbsp butter (or vegan cooking margarine)



Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F degrees (175°C/gas mark 4).

In a medium or large mixing bowl combine the stewed tomatoes with all the other vegetables. Mix the flour, sugar, salt and pepper together in a separate bowl and add to the vegetables, stirring well to coat.

Grease a 1 1/2 to 2 quart (6 to 8 cup) baking dish; add the vegetable mixture, spreading it out evenly. Top with the bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top has reached desired degree of lovely golden brown doneness.

Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before serving, then bring to the table and dish up as the fragrant scent of warm bread crumbs and roasted tomatoes wafts invitingly through the air.


Serves 3 to 4 people as a side dish

Bon appétit!