Advertising Records
name: label: Names
content: Lake Placid Club
label: Names
content: Sohmer, Hugo
label: Names
content: Sohmer, William
label: Collection Author
content: Falcone Custom Grand Pianos
label: Collection Donor
content: Pratt, Read and Company
label: Collection Creator
content: Sohmer & Company
topic: label: Topic
content: Television
label: Topic
content: Municipal Election, New York City
label: Topic
content: Game shows
label: Topic
content: Sound -- Recording and reproducing
setName: label: See more items in
content: Sohmer & Co. Records
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1880-1985
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0349, Series 6
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Scrapbooks
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Proof sheets
label: Type
content: Sheet music
label: Type
content: Reprints
label: Type
content: Advertisements
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Scrapbooks
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 1880-1910
label: Genre/Form
content: Proof sheets
label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music
label: Genre/Form
content: Reprints
label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Advertising, dating from 1880 to 1989, are by far the most comprehensive records of the collection.  They are reflective of Sohmer & Co.'s heavy dependence on advertising to get its product before the people.  The company advertisements represented range from the colorful cartoon advertisements featured in the magazine Puck in 1888 1890, to an undeveloped sketch by Harry Sohmer entitled: "New York Oddities, New York Certainties." [Series 7: Boxes OS 16 and OS 55 respectively.] Generally, all the ingredients for an advertising campaign from start to finish are present in these records.  From the Art Work (i.e., photographs and sketches), to the Mechanicals (represented by the assemblage of art work, text, captions, layouts, and overlays), the concepts behind a campaign can be seen in the process of design development.  Proof Sheets show the finished advertisement before publication, while Trade Paper and Newspaper Reprints and clippings show the advertisement as it appeared in print.

The Scrapbooks of Sohmer Advertisements include advertisements clipped from newspapers (primarily New York) and trade papers from 1883 through 1983.  There are none for the years 1942 1945.  Occasionally included within these scrapbooks are also the latest Sohmer catalog or booklet and clippings of editorial comments about the company's latest advertisements.

The scrapbooks of the years 1883 to 1903 primarily contain newsclippings relating to New York City politics and the 1897 nomination of Hugo Sohmer's brother William as mayoral candidate of the German faction of Tammany Hall.  Other clippings relate to New York municipal elections, William Sohmer's political activities, and his appointment as city clerk in 1898.  Interspersed with these articles, many of which are from German language publications such as the New York Plattduettsche Post, are clippings of Sohmer piano advertisements.  Although all the scrapbooks are in very brittle condition and require careful handling, the earliest scrapbooks should be handled with particular caution due to their extremely critical condition.

The scrapbooks of the early 1900's continue to include news clippings about Sohmer & Co., e.g. regarding the move of their salesrooms in 1909, along with advertisement clippings.  After c. 1922 scrapbooks primarily contain wholesale and retail advertisements, and fewer or no news clippings. 

One undated scrapbook contains information for dealers about the Sohmer Piano Company.  Sohmer also followed the advertisement campaigns of its competitors, as scrapbooks of competitor advertisements [OS FLDR 6 8] and a scrapbook with competitor ads and news clippings [OS 48] demonstrate.

The Scrapbooks covering the years 1953 through 1966 include schedules for advertisements, which are organized by the name of the newspaper in which the advertisement is to run, when it is to run, how many lines, and the cost per line; there are total costs and agency fees for each newspaper.  The scrapbooks also include coupon advertising statistics and analyses, which are organized by media (i.e., newspaper or magazine), and in the following categories:  number of inquiries, number of units sold, sale cost in dollars, advertising dollars spent, and advertising cost per sale.

Statistics on the pianos used as prizes on television game shows, such as "The Price is Right" and "Say When," can be found in the scrapbooks from 1959 through the 1960s.  They include the date of broadcast, whether it was an evening or daytime show, the piano model, and whether it was purchased or contributed to the show.

 The Scrapbook of Sohmer Advertising Mail Follow ups of 1935 include typed letters of thanks, testimonials, and marketing booklets.  The trade paper reprints of advertisements are arranged numerically by piano model number, then alphabetically by name of campaign.  Newspaper Reprints are arranged alphabetically by name of campaign.  The Proof Sheets for dealer use, arranged numerically by their assigned numbers, were utilized by dealers to promote their store as well as Sohmer pianos.  On these proofs was a request for copies of the advertisements as they appeared in print.  A sampling of these is found in the Dealer Advertisements of 1948 1954.

The promotional campaign organized between Sohmer and pianist Edward J. McGinley in 1955 represents advertising in a microcosm.  Included are letters to McGinley setting up a public demonstration entitled "Piano Playing Made Easy," preliminary design sketches of the advertisement, clippings of the advertisement, and a "Book of Official Record of Inquiries" about the demonstration.

The series also includes several items of miscellaneous advertisements such as a recording of a Sohmer commercial, a map of New York City, and gift wrapping paper with Sohmer advertisements.