Simpson Library: Advertisements: Advertisements

Print ads

Clip art of a magazine

Ad*Access
American and Canadian print ads from the years 1911 - 1955. Provided by Duke University Libraries.
Adland
Includes print, TV, and radio ads. Most ads are from 2000 or later.
AdRespect
A non-profit organization that rates ads on their portrayal of LGBT themes. They host a large archive of print ads and TV ads, covering the 1920s up to the present. The archive can be useful for any ad-related research, not just research into LGBT themes.
The Advertising Archives
This collection is focused on the United Kingdom, but it also includes ads from continental Europe and North America. It covers the years 1900 to present. You can register (for free) to view the images in larger sizes.

American Periodicals Series Online This link opens in a new window
American magazines and newspapers published from 1741 to 1940. This is a UMW database, so access requires a UMW username and password. To limit your search to advertisements, use the Document Type menu.
Early American Newspapers This link opens in a new window
American newspapers published between 1741 and 1922. This is a UMW database, so access requires a UMW username and password. To limit your search to advertisements, first do a search. Then, on the search results, page, click on Article Type and select "Advertisement."

Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850 - 1920
American print advertisements from the years 1850 - 1920. Provided by Duke University Libraries.
International Advertising & Design Database
Advertisements from around the world, from the 18th century to the 21st century.
MagazineArt.org
An online archive of art from magazine covers and advertisements, from the 1880s through 1940s. Note that this archive contains only cover art, not magazine articles.
Philip Morris USA Inc. Advertising Archive
This archive of tobacco advertisements was created by the tobacco company Philip Morris USA, in order to comply with a legal settlement.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers This link opens in a new window
Major American newspapers, from the mid-19th century to the 1990s. This is a UMW database, so access requires a UMW username and password. To limit your search to advertisements, use the Document Type menu, and select any or all of the following: "Advertisement," "Classified Ad," or "Display Ad."

Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising
A well-organized collection of tobacco ads. Includes both print ads and TV ads. Provided by the Stanford School of Medicine.

The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a non-profit organization that produces public service announcements (PSAs). Among its successful PSA slogans are "Loose Lips Sink Ships," "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."
Adland
Includes print, TV, and radio ads. Most ads are from 2000 or later.
AdRespect
A non-profit organization that rates ads on their portrayal of LGBT themes. They host a large archive of print ads and TV ads, covering the 1920s up to the present. The archive can be useful for any ad-related research, not just research into LGBT themes.
AdViews
A collection of TV commercials from the 1950s - 1980s, provided by Duke University Libraries.
Classic TV Commercials
A collection of classic TV commercials, mostly from the '50s and '60s, hosted by the Internet Archive.
The Living Room Candidate
An archive of TV commercials from US presidential campaigns, from 1952 to the present. Provided by the Museum of the Moving Image.
Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising
A well-organized collection of tobacco ads. Includes both print ads and TV ads. Provided by the Stanford School of Medicine.
YouTube
YouTube is perhaps the best online source for commercials. Try combining your search terms with the word "commercial" or "ad" or "advert" or "advertisement."

Adland
Includes print, TV, and radio ads. Most ads are from 2000 or later.
Old Radio World: Vintage Commercials
A fan site that hosts a small collection of radio ads.
Old Time Radio Advertisements
American radio ads from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Hosted by the Internet Archive.
Radio Commercials Shows
A small collection of old American radio ads. Hosted by the Internet Archive.