John Thomas Collection of Television Commercials
name: label: Donor
content: Thomas, John E.
topic: label: Topic
content: advertising
label: Topic
content: Advertising agencies
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Airlines
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Automobiles
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Banks
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Beer -- 1950-2000
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Beverages
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Clothing trade -- 1970-2010
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Food
label: Topic
content: Advertising, Public service
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Soft drinks
label: Topic
content: advertising -- Tobacco
label: Topic
content: Banks and banking
label: Topic
content: Beverages -- 20th century
label: Topic
content: Business Advertising -- Tobacco
label: Topic
content: Clothing -- American
label: Topic
content: House cleaning
label: Topic
content: Marketing
label: Topic
content: Television advertising
label: Topic
content: Television
label: Topic
content: Snack foods
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated to the Archives Center in 2014 by John E. Thomas.
creator: label: Donor
content: Thomas, John E.
setName: label: See more items in
content: John Thomas Collection of Television Commercials
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection of primarily television commercials on 16mm film, audio tapes, and video cassette tapes amassed by teacher of English and Media Studies John E. Thomas. In addition, there are public service announcements and resource materials relating to advertising and commercials.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: John E. Thomas, retired teacher of English and Media Studies, amassed his collection by asking local television stations to save for him the commercials they would normally discard.  He also purchased some commercials and public service announcements (PSAs).
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 12 Cubic feet (12 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1959-1998, undated
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1324
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Advertisements
label: Type
content: Advertising
label: Type
content: Commercials
label: Type
content: Film
label: Type
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm films
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: Collection is arranged in two series.

Series 1, Resource Materials, 1959-1998, undated

Series 2, Audio Visual Materials, 1965-1977, undated

Subseries 2.1, Audio Cassette and Reel-to-Reel Tapes, 1965-1977

Subseries 2.2, Video Cassette Tapes, 1960s-1970s

Subseries 2.3, 16mm Film, 1960s-1970s
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Analiese Oetting, film archivist, 2024; and Vanessa Broussard Simmons, archivist, 2024. Finding aid encoded by Meredith Clowse, intern, 2024.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Advertisements -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Advertising -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Commercials
label: Genre/Form
content: Commercials -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Film
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures (visual works) -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: 16mm films
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Collection consists primarily of approximately seventeen hundred television commercials on 16mm film, audio tapes, and video cassette tapes.  The commercials were created to advertise automobiles, food, clothing, tobacco, household uses, the airlines, pets, personal care, and other products by major American companies.  Such companies included Crush International, Incorporated; Safeway, Incorporated;  PepsiCo, Incorporated; Suburban Trust and Savings Bank; Washington Post; Coco Cola Company; and Miller Brewing Company. There are also public service announcements included with the materials. In addition, resource materials relating to television commericals were acquired for classwork use.

Collection is arranged in two series: Series 1, Resource Materials, 1959-1998, undated; and 
Series 2, Audio Visual Materials, 1965-1977, undated.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History


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