Category Archives: Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday, Episode 10

June 3, 2013 Amy McDonald

The riots and politics of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago continually weave in and out of Episode 10, through media and discussions. The partners begin discussing changing the agency’s name. Don, Roger, and Harry travel to LA for client presentations, including Carnation. Harry drives Don and Roger to a party in the Hollywood Hills. Starlets and stoned hippies roam poolside. Don is invited to share a hit from a hookah. His hallucination ends with him seeing himself face down in the swimming pool. He comes to on the deck, wet and coughing, with a soaked and out-of-breath Roger telling everyone he’s fine.

At the office, Ginsberg confronts Jim, calling him a fascist. Jim tells Ted they should fire all SCDP staff, beginning with Ginsberg. Jim asks Bob Benson to take Ginsberg to the Manischewitz meeting. Joan’s blind date ends up being with Avon’s new Head of Marketing who is looking for a new agency. She praises the company and picks up the check. Wary of Pete, Joan sets up a lunch meeting with just herself, Avon, and an unknowing Peggy. Ted’s tells Jim Chevy has signed off on their work. Bob interrupts with news Manischewitz has put them in review. Jim rewards Bob for “handling this like a man” with a spot on the Chevy team. Avon sends samples to the agency. Pete blows up, reprimands Joan, and calls Ted in to deliver the final blow. Peggy listens in, and sends in the secretary with a fake note that Avon has called for Joan. Ted gives Joan the go-ahead, over-riding a seething Pete. All partners but Joan meet in Don’s office. Ted shares news of Chevy and Avon, and Cooper reveals Ted and Jim’s suggestion for an agency name: Sterling Cooper & Partners.

Episode 10 referred to Carnation Instant Breakfast, Life Cereal, computers in business, renaming an agency, men wearing ascots, and Schlitz beer, among others. Here is a selection of ads that illustrate some of the products and cultural references mentioned in Sunday night’s Mad Men. A gallery of our highlighted images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday Tuesday, Episode 9

May 28, 2013 Will Hansen

A number of characters faced choices between two people, while others faced rejection or criticism. Peggy is encouraged to choose between Ted and Don’s ideas for Fleischmann’s margarine. Megan’s performance as twins is criticized. Arlene tries to console Megan, but her sexual advances are spurned. Betty’s slimmed down figure gets a lot of attention from a man at a dinner party, which excites Henry. In frustration, Pete consults with headhunter Duck Phillips about alternative positions. Ted tells Peggy that he has feelings for her, but also that he regrets kissing her. Betty and Don visit Bobby at summer camp. They reconnect in a happy family moment over lunch and later spend the night together. Don is nostalgic and sentimental about Betty, while she is frank about his shortcomings. The next morning she happily eats breakfast with Henry, while Don eats alone as if nothing ever happened. Joan and Bob go to the beach with her son, Kevin. Roger tries to reconnect with Joan with a gift for Kevin, but she rebuffs him. Roger is also reprimanded by his daughter after taking his grandson to see Planet of the Apes. Peggy is fearful of the crime in her new neighborhood. After a rock is thrown through their apartment window, she arms herself with a knife and accidentally stabs Abe in the abdomen. In the ambulance Abe breaks up with Peggy, calling her the enemy because of her advertising career. The next day Peggy tells Ted that she and Abe broke up, but Ted seems unmoved by the news and wishes her well in finding someone new.

Episode nine’s plot referred to Esso gasoline, menthol cigarettes, knives, 1965 Cadillacs, and chef salads, among other things. Here is a selection of ads that illustrate some of the products and cultural references mentioned in Sunday night’s Mad Men. A gallery of our highlighted images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday, Episode 8

May 20, 2013 Amy McDonald 1 Comment

The Chevy executives in Detroit aren’t happy with any ad campaigns the merged agency is submitting. Don asks them to work all weekend to come up with new ideas for Chevy. After talking with Sylvia, Don begins having flashbacks of being a teenager in the brothel with his stepmother. Jim brings in his doctor to “fix everyone up” and gives some staff an energy serum shot, guaranteed to give 1-3 days of uninterrupted creative focus and energy. The energized creatives are unable to focus, leaving Peggy and Ginsberg frustrated with their frenetic, but useless, work. Don asks Peggy to find a soup ad in the archives to inspire them for the campaign. Don’s thoughts are more focused on a pitch to win Sylvia back, rather than to persuade Chevy.

Sally babysits her brothers at Don’s apartment while he works and Megan is at a dinner. Awakened by sounds from the dining room, Sally walks out to find an African-American woman rummaging through the cupboards. She tells Sally she raised her dad, but she’s actually a thief. Finally returning home, Don finds the kids, Megan, Henry, Betty (back to a blonde), and the police in his apartment. He promptly faints. The episode ends with Don reassuring Sally the robbery was not her fault, and Don telling Ted to call him in 1970 when Chevy is ready to make an ad.

Episode eight’s plot referred to Admiral radios, Chevy Impala, tuna salad, soup, and gold watches, among other things. Enjoy our selection of ads and images that illustrate some of the products and cultural references mentioned in last night’s Mad Men. A gallery of our highlighted images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday, Episode 7

May 13, 2013 Kate Collins 2 Comments

The CGC staff move into the SCDP office space and everyone scrambles to figure out their place at the new agency. A number of staff members get laid off. Don meets Sylvia at a hotel for a daytime tryst. Ted leads a creative meeting discussing Fleischmann’s Margarine. Later he and Don continue brainstorming over drinks in Ted’s office and Ted drinks too much. Pete’s difficult mother shows up at his apartment and he becomes responsible for her care. Because of her issues Pete misses an important meeting with Mohawk Airlines. Ted and Don fly upstate to the Mohawk meeting in Ted’s airplane through a storm. Sylvia waits for Don at the hotel at his request and a red dress is delivered to her room. Joan is in pain and Bob Benson takes her discreetly to the emergency room, where he talks the nurse into admitting her. Later Joan returns the favor by advocating for his job during a meeting about staffing cuts. Sylvia breaks off the affair with Don and he seems devastated. The episode ends with news of Robert Kennedy’s assassination, which Megan watches in tears.

Episode seven’s plot referred to St. Joseph’s Children’s Aspirin, Fleischmann’s Margarine, Topaz Pantyhose, Mohawk Airlines, gin and tonics, among other things. Enjoy our selection of ads and images that illustrate some of the products and cultural references mentioned in last night’s Mad Men. A gallery of our highlighted images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center, Just for Fun, New Finding Aids, Technical Stuff

The Accidental Archivist

May 8, 2013 Meghan Lyon

Issues involved with the handling and preservation of ephemera—campaign buttons, stickers, scrapbooks, photo albums, brochures and pamphlets and such—have been an ongoing concern among curators and archivists, as many of our procedures and best practices concern materials commonly recognized as “important artifacts” such as art, works of prominent photographers, rare manuscripts and books. Many modern manuscript collections pose an additional challenge when they include files of clippings, the two-sided nature of which inadvertently creates an “accidental archive” of items of potential research interest. Many of the Hartman Center’s advertising collections suffer from this wealth of excess. Magazine and newspaper pages containing ads for one product frequently have an equally (if not more) useful ad on the reverse, or a provocative news article. In the example here, taken from the Doris Bryn Papers, the reverse side of a department store ad contains an article “Are Women Persons? Educators Disagree” that appeared in the Oct. 15, 1950 edition of the Sunday Herald.

3363989-0 — The backside of a 1950 advertisement for a department store wonders, “Are Women Persons?”

As indicative of the kinds of debates taking place during the postwar re-integration of women into domestic life and the slow march toward women’s rights and gender equality, the article poses potential research utility; at the least, great fodder for an undergraduate paper. The big challenge is: how to remember where to find these little gems the second time around?

Post contributed by Rick Collier, Technical Services Archivist for the John W. Hartman Center.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday, Episode 6

May 6, 2013 Amy McDonald

Mad Men Mondays logo

A series of big changes consumed the May 5th episode of Mad Men last night, and not everyone is pleased with the results.

Pete, Joan and Bert consult with a banker to take SCDP public. Roger’s scheming gets SCDP a chance to pitch a campaign for a new concept car by Chevrolet. Don resigns the Jaguar account during an angry exchange over dinner with Herb Rennet. Pete and Joan are angry with Don’s actions. Pete and his father-in-law awkwardly run into each other at a brothel, which results in the loss of the Vicks account for SCDP. Megan takes her mother’s advice and gets Don’s attention with a short dress. Peggy is unhappy with the apartment she bought and Abe tries to reassure her. Ted kisses Peggy when she says that she admires him because he is strong. Peggy fantasizes about Ted while she talks to Abe. Don and Ted run into each other at the hotel bar the night before the Chevy pitch and agree to join forces. After winning the account, SCDP and CGC merge. Peggy is surprised and disappointed with the merger news.

Episode six’s plot referred to flight attendants, Mustangs, Shalimar perfume, paint fumes, Vicks cough drops, Jim Beam, and pinot noir, among other things. Here is a selection of ads and images that illustrate some of the products and cultural references mentioned in last night’s Mad Men. A gallery of our highlighted images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

Advertisement for Dutch Boy Paint

And here’s something to listen to while you’re looking at the ads (especially the last one)!

From Our Collections, Hartman Center, University Archives

Mad Men Monday, Episode 5

April 29, 2013 Will Hansen

Episode 5, which aired on April 28^st, depicted the Mad Men characters reacting to the news that Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Across the board, everyone was upset and unnerved, but there was considerable awkwardness in their interactions with each other in the aftermath. Pete and Harry argued about what was an appropriate reaction to the death. Joan hugged Dawn. Don tried to send Dawn home, but she really wanted to stay at work. Megan took Sally and Gene to a vigil. Don took Bobby to the movies. Peggy fretted over an offer to purchase an apartment. Betty and Henry saw an opportunity for his political career to blossom. Ginsburg tried not to bungle a date that his father set up for him. There were references to wallpaper, formal wear, Milk Duds, Planet of the Apes, and Chinese food, among other items. Here are a selection of ads and images that refer to some of the products and cultural references mentioned in last night’s episode of Mad Men. We’ve even included a program from the April 4, 1968 ANDY Awards and some photos of a vigil that occurred on Duke’s campus in the days after the assassination. Paul Newman really was the keynote speaker! A gallery of our selected images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

The Duke Vigil was a silent demonstration at Duke University, April 5 - 11, 1968, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Up to 1,400 students slept on the Chapel Quad, food services and housekeeping employees went on strike, and most students boycotted the dining halls in support of the employees. Duke University Archives, University Archives Photograph Collection, box 54. — The Duke Vigil was a silent demonstration at Duke University, April 5 – 11, 1968, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Up to 1,400 students slept on the Chapel Quad, food services and housekeeping employees went on strike, and most students boycotted the dining halls in support of the employees. Duke University Archives, University Archives Photograph Collection, box 54.

Duke Vigil, April 5-11, 1968. Duke University Archives, University Archives Photograph Collection, box 54.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday, Episode 4

April 22, 2013 Amy McDonald 1 Comment

Episode 4, which aired on April 21st, featured a number of awkward moments for the characters of Mad Men. Several characters were pressured or had to do things that made them uncomfortable. Dawn was asked to clock out for Scarlett when she left early. Megan had to do her first love scene. She and Don were asked to participate in a foursome by Arlene and Mel. Peggy had to pitch a new ketchup campaign to Heinz after awkwardly running into Don and Stan at the Roosevelt Hotel. Later she and Ted have a drink at the same bar as the SCDP team. Joan had to tag along with her friend Kate when she wanted to have a fling with a younger man.

There were references to Avon, Birdseye, Dow Chemical, Joe Namath, and J. Walter Thompson, among other brands. And as usual there was lots of drinking. Here are a selection of ads that refer to some of the products and cultural references mentioned in last night’s episode of Mad Men. A gallery of our selected images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

From Our Collections, Hartman Center

Mad Men Monday, Episode 3

April 15, 2013 Kate Collins

Episode 3, shown on April 14^th, showcased a couple of client meetings in the SCDP offices, along with some personal get-togethers outside the workplace.

Last night’s episode featured references to Jaguar, Heinz Ketchup, All laundry detergent, Teflon and Clearasil, Italian food, champagne, and the most mundane product of all: toilet paper. Enjoy our selection of highlighted ads, outdoor advertising designs, and advertising cookbooks that reflect the brands and themes that Mad Men characters interacted with last night. A gallery of our selected images may also be found on Pinterest and Flickr.

Hartman Center, Just for Fun, Technical Stuff

Take a Nap, Doctor’s Orders

April 12, 2013 Meghan Lyon

Recently the Rubenstein Library received an inter-library loan request that was quite appropriate for a drowsy Friday afternoon: Fatigue: What It Is and How to Overcome It, by Dr. Donald Anderson Laird. This short pamphlet, collected as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History, was published in 1934 as part of the Master Bedding salesman’s training course.

Dr. Laird describes fatigue as “a diminished capacity for doing work, and diminished capacity for enjoying life,” and describes symptoms as irritability, bad temper, nervousness, and peplessness.

If you are pepless or suffering from other symptoms of late-semester fatigue, here are some suggestions from the booklet:

“The bed equipment should be used by the housewife for a few minutes several times during the day. It is not essential to sleep, but to lie down on a cushion that makes it possible to relax.”

“Sometimes excitement from the day makes it difficult to relax, even on a well-designed sleep cushion. The condition will be helped by a sleeping room that is designed and decorated to promote calming down emotionally by the judicious use of blues and greens.”

“The muscular relaxation coaxed by the bed cushion, in fact, will help mental calming down, just as a good way to overcome anger is to try to smile and not act angry.”

While this pamphlet was published almost 80 years ago and some of the advice seems less than scientific, this section seemed especially appropriate even today:

“The present generation probably needs at least better sleep than the previous generations. Radio programs, sleep-disturbing night noises from traffic, a greater assortment of time and energy consuming evening pleasures made possible by electricity all probably keep us from getting as much sleep as our fathers did. Then the emotional strain of modern high speed automobile traffic, and the present gnawing apprehension caused by the depression, also conspire to make us need the safety-valve of dreams as never before.”

Replace “radio programs” with “the internet” and “evening pleasures made possible by electricity” with “smartphones,” and that sentence is quite modern sounding.

The final section of the pamphlet gives advice to the Master Bedding salesman on prescribing the appropriate kind of mattress just as a doctor would prescribe a medicine. Naturally, the booklet warns against selling the cheapest mattress: “One’s bed is in reality one’s best friend, and to practice false economy at its expense is indeed false reasoning.” You wouldn’t be cheap with your best friend, would you?

Smile, paint your bedroom blue, and lie down for a bit. Doctor’s orders.

If you’d like to learn more, the Rubenstein Library also holds the companion pamphlet in the Master Bedding salesman’s training course: A New Mattress Era by Marvin C. Lindeman.

Post contributed by Rachel Penniman, Rubenstein Library Assistant for Research and Technical Services.

Dispatches from the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Duke University