This collection is composed of photographs used as illustrations in The Seagram Spotlight, a "monthly house organ published by and for the staff of Seagram Distiller's Corporation," according to the 20th anniversary issue (December 1936). Only images from the following issues are represented: 1947 March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December; 1948 January-February, March-April, May-June, July-August, September-October, November-December; 1949 January-February, March-April; 1955 March, May, August, October; 1957 February, April, June, September, December.

The magazine targeted Seagram's national salesforce and Seagram distributors who were collectively addressed as "Seagramerica." Its editorial content featured information about company news including promotions and sales meetings; creative liquor store displays in "Good Ideas" which were contributed by associate editors from different regional sale divisions for each issue; information about advertising and marketing campaigns; articles about bars and restaurants that featured Seagram liquor; and personal interest items about salesmen. As well as recording the alcoholic beverage industry, some of the photographs provide a general documentation of 20th century American culture. This can be seen, for example, in articles titled "The Shopping Center: A New Retailing Phenomenon" (1957), "Who Say's It's a Man's World?" (1957) and "Negro Affairs which Attract Seagram Sponsorship" (1955); images of bars advertising the ownership of televisions; bar signs welcoming presidential conventioneers (1948); drive-through liquor stores; campaigns to promote responsible drinking; salesmen and spouses dressed for business dinners; and even racist advertising signs by an individual bar owner in Wisconsin.

In addition to the photographs used in Seagram Spotlight, there are some miscellaneous images of liquor stores in the Wilmington and Dover, Delaware, areas, ca. 1948; images of liquor store display windows, interiors, and internal displays; images of bars and restaurants; some images related to Kessler Whiskey; some undated charts and graphs of sale and display statistics of consumer marketing research from the following sources: the Advertising Institute , DuPont [Company] Impulse Purchasing Study, George A. Hormel Co., and A.C. Nielson Company; some photographs of an unidentified Seagram plant that show views of the analysis of ingredients by a chemist, whiskey production, and the packaging and shipping of Seven Crown whiskey; a science symposium held in 1957 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel which included many well-known scientists and TV journalists.