Finding Aids

The American Meat Institute (AMI) is a large trade organization for the meat and poultry industry. Founded in 1906 as the American Meat Packers Association in Chicago. During World War II, the AMI stressed the importance of a balance diet in order to keep both civilians and servicemembers strong and healthy. The AMI produced many posters to promote their efforts. This poster shows categories of food along with how many servings is recommended daily.

The Maytag Corporation manufactures home appliances, most well known for its washing machines, also produces dryers, dishwashers, cooktops, refrigerators, and ranges. Claire G. Ely (1905-2004) was an employee of the Maytag company for forty one years. He worked for the Kansas City Branch and then was transferred to Newton, Iowa upon his promotion in 1952 to Manager of Product and Market Planning, eventually becoming Vice President of Marketing. This collection consists of materials collected or created by Clare G. Ely and includes biographical information about the Maytag family, historical information about the Maytag company, and documents the career of Ely from Branch Manager to Vice President. The collection includes press releases, newsletters, bulletins, newspaper clippings, correspondence, reports, pamphlets, photographs, and certificates.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont company. The company was established in 1802 for the production of black powder. This collection includes publicity photographs from the DuPont Company, many relating to nylon and its uses in World War II. Other subjects include company executives, employees, and stock holders; various factories and facilities; general World War II production awards; high explosives workers; and hunting.

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company is a chemical company commonly known as the DuPont Company. DuPont introduced its first reverse osmosis permeators for water desalination in 1969 under the trade name "Permasep" as a result of its contusion research in polymer chemistry and synthetic fibers. The collection documents the manufacture and operational use of the Permasep® product line. The collection consists of photographs, slides, videocassettes, and marketing materials that document the DuPont Company's involvement in the Permasep® product line. The bulk of the collection are slides of desalination plant views, including interior and exterior views. This collection includes slide presentations, brochures, and videocassettes promoting Permasep®. Researchers interested in industrial reverse osmosis systems may find this collection useful.

Ernest Dichter (1907-1991) was one of the pioneers in consumer motivational research. He started his own consulting business in 1946. It was incorporated in New York as the Institute for Research in Mass Motivations, Inc. in 1952 and renamed the Institute for Motivational Research, Inc. in 1955. This collection consists of photographs, negatives, slides, contact sheets, and audio cassettes.

MCI Communications Corporation (MCI) was a large telecommunications company. It was organized in October 1963 in Joliet, Illinois, by John D. (Jack) Goeken (1930-2010), as Microwave Communications, Inc. Goeken and his partners were planning to provide point-to-point private line microwave communications between Chicago and St. Louis to small businesses. This large collection documents the activities of the MCI Communications Corporation and its subsidiaries as well as the development of a competitive telecommunications industry in the United States and worldwide. The materials focus on MCI corporate life, public relations, technical operations, and sales and marketing activities. A vast amount of videotapes makes up a significant portion of the MCI collection, however, there are also photographs, slides, digital files, and audio cassette tapes.

This collection consists of five publicity photographs from the motion picture Stars and Stripes Forever. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and released in 1952. It tells the story of John Philip Sousa, portrayed by Clifton Webb.

RCA Victor was an American electronics company. Nicholas F. Pensiero (1918-2003) worked for RCA's Marketing Division. This collection contains sixteen photographs in which Gladys McHugh is the model posed using RCA Victor appliances. The remainder of the photos are candids, some taken inside or near RCA offices.

N.W. Ayer & Son, Inc. lays claim to being the first and oldest advertising agency in the United States. Established in Philadelphia by Francis Ayer (1848-1923) in 1869. The Kellett Aircraft Corporation was a manufacturer of airplanes, specifically autogiros, helicopters, and aircraft for the U.S. military. This item is a thin booklet style scrapbook containing newspaper articles about a publicity stunt where a golfer flew a Kellet autogiro to each hole on the golf course at Locust Grove Country Club in Westfield, New Jersey. The demonstration was arranged by N.W. Ayer & Son to promote the Kellet autogiros. All of the articles include a photograph image.

Over half the mushrooms in the United States are grown in and around the town of Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, which proudly calls itself the mushroom capital of the world. This oral history collection brings together interviews with individuals whose experiences capture the many different kinds of work and knowledge involved in mushroom cultivation, harvesting, packing, distribution, and marketing, and how those processes have changed over time.

Sally Rand (1904-1979) was a burlesque dancer, most well-known for her performances of the "bubble dance" and the "fan dance." This item is a publicity photograph showing Sally Rand and her fans.

The Gallery at Market East is a shopping gallery in Philadelphia. This collection consists of a publicity packet produced to promote The Gallery at Market Street East. The packet includes two renderings of the Gallery area, and four brochures which contains a map, statistical information about the area, and press releases about stores.