Ad* Access

Type of Resource: Research Resources, Teacher Tools and Information
Free or Fee: Fee
Computer Needs: None Apparent
Link: Visit the Site!

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Recommendation:

Ad*Access is very limited and focused in its content. This is wonderful for an in-depth study and allows for comparisons of ads across categories and over a short period of time. However, it does not lend itself to be a general research tool for advertising. The site contains this disclaimer: "This site includes historical materials that may contain negative stereotypes or language reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the historical record." It´s worth looking carefully at the area students would search in or to discuss this fact before letting students browse the site.

Description:

Browse, search or view ads by timeline from 1911 to 1955 by using Ad*Access. From the website: "Ad*Access is a pilot project to make a selection of historical advertisements available for study and research. The project draws on part of a large collection of magazine and newspaper ads within the Duke library's J. Walter Thompson Company Archives. The project includes over 7,000 ads, mainly from U.S. publications dating between 1911 and 1955. The 7,000 ads included in Ad*Access are only a tiny subset of all the advertisements printed during the time period in question. Rather than include just a few ads on many topics, we elected to digitize and make available hundreds or thousands of ads that relate to one of five main categories. This enables researchers and students to have enough material to draw on to begin to understand that advertising for a certain product or time period. The categories we selected are: Beauty and Hygiene, Transportation, Radio, Television, and World War II. Each of these categories is one we know attracts a lot of research interest and most of them also reflect major developments in American society, culture, business and technology."

Possible uses:

Classes studying advertising or history can find interesting images here to compare to each other. Or evaluate change in the same brand´s advertising over a short time period. Teachers can use these images to enhance a historical study by adding in the element of daily life. Advertising students can track advertising tricks and tactics through these images.

Related Resources:

4-5, 6-8, 9-12+

Social Studies : History
Social Studies : Sociology
Media Education : Advertising

Research Resources, Teacher Tools and Information