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Advertising Resources in the BPCL

Advertising in the BPCL

Since the late 1800s, advertising has been a significant part of American life.  Advances in transportation and communication along with mass production of goods and services, made advertising on a national level possible near the beginning of the 20th century.  Our collection contains many different kinds of images and ephemera that represent advertising in some form, from movie to cosmetics, and can be utilized to follow the progress of what is now a billion dollar industry.

Come on up to the 4th floor of Jerome Library and see such things as: movie posters, trading cards, mail order catalogs, magazine advertisements, advertising proofs, etc. Use the links at the left to learn about our collections and to see some examples.

How to Use the BPCL & What to Bring With You

  • BPCL's hours are more limited than the main floor, but we're open late on Monday and Tuesday.
  • We're an archive/repository, so most of our materials cannot be checked out.
  • Most of our collection is not open for browsing. You need to request materials at our reference desk with your university ID or a photo ID. 
  • The reference collection is open for browsing! It's one of the best places to get started with popular culture research.
  • We have a copier and a scanner available for copying/scanning materials that cannot be checked out.  There is a fee for copying, but scanning is free.