Guest Lecture on “The Advertising Film Before Commercial Broadcasting “

Novelty News, May 1911

Special Collections in Mass Media & Culture is pleased to announce an upcoming guest lecture presented by Martin Johnson, Assistant Professor of Media Studies at Catholic University on:

• Date: Tuesday, October 21^st
• Time: 4:30pm
• Location: 3^rd floor instruction space in Hornbake Library North

The title of Dr. Johnson’s lecture is, “The Best Advertisement Will Never Be Written”: The Advertising Film Before Commercial Broadcasting.” He will discuss the attempts by producers of industrial films in the 1910s to create moving-image advertisements and, despite early setbacks due to resistance within the motion picture industry, the subsequent success of using non-theatrical spaces as advertising platforms.

Judicious Advertising, December 1912

“By locating these advertising films within a diverse media landscape,” Johnson claims, “it becomes possible to trace the emergence of ‘useful’ mass media in the early 20^th century.”

The lecture is free and open to the public. Students in Communication and Film Studies are especially encouraged to attend. A reception will follow Dr. Johnson’s presentation.

Questions? Contact Mike Henry, Research Specialist, at mlhenry@umd.edu.

Driving and parking directions

A Merry German Christmas in Baltimore

Today’s post is written by Elliott Wrenn, Student Assistant for the Historic Maryland Newspapers Project and MLS candidate in UMD’s College of Information Studies. Thanks to Jill Fosse for providing the translations in this blog post. Enjoy!

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 24, 1900

With the holidays upon us, we at the Historic Maryland Newspapers Project cannot help but post a few images of what Baltimore residents saw in Der Deutsche Correspondent during the holidays. The images primarily come from paid advertisements posted in the paper.  As ads can play a significant role in shaping and reflecting material and visual culture of the time, the news daily allows us to look at daily life as a turn-of-the-century Baltimorean saw it.

November and December issues are filled with ads for the holidays.  These include advertisements for a Thanksgiving Grokes Austern-Souper (oyster supper); week-long train getaways for Weihnachten-Neujahr [Christmas-New Year]; Christmas stocks of “fresh raisins, currants, citron,” books and games for children; and Christmas showpieces at the Ford’s Grand Opera House in Baltimore.

Santa Claus is prominent throughout December editions in the 1880s and 1890s, appearing in countless Christmas stories, poems, and ads for children’s toys and men’s clothing.

Der Sonntags-Correspondent, December 15, 1894

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 15, 1896

In one image a store advertises its in-store holiday musical performances, decorative displays, ice palace, and post bureau for Santa Claus; in another Santa Claus himself fits a man for an overcoat.

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 19, 1896

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 18, 1897

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 19, 1896

If the fact that Der Deutsche Correspondent was published in German wasn’t enough to link a portion of Baltimore immigrants to the old country, Der Deutsche Correspondent advertised its forwarding service for Christmas remittances to Germany. The ad reads:

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 10, 1896

Remittances to Germany.

Remittances to Germany that are intended for Christmas should be sent very soon, so that they arrive in good time. If they get there earlier, they aren’t any less welcome, but if they arrive late, they lose a lot of their value as Christmas presents. The forwarding service of the “Correspondent” is the most punctual and cheapest way of getting payments of small and large sums to Germany. Address your request to: E. Raine, Baltimore, MD.

 
Der Deutsche Correspondent consistently printed a yearly calendar and inserted it into an issue either at the end of the year or very beginning of the year. On one calendar the paper proudly advertises its founding in 1841 and displays the building built by George A. Frederick on the corner of East Baltimore Street and Postoffice Avenue (now Custom House Alley) where the paper was drafted and printed. The building later was burnt down in the 1904 fire that consumed large portions of downtown Baltimore at the time. (Look for a detailed post on the Baltimore fire of 1904 in the months ahead.)

Der Deutsche Correspondent, December 29, 1896

Der Sonntags-Correspondent, December 24, 1897

 
Happy Holidays from the Historic Maryland Newspapers Project! See you in the new year!

The World’s Fair Ephemeral and Graphic Material Collection

The World’s Fair Ephemeral and Graphic Material Collection is now available at the Maryland Room, 1^st floor Hornbake Library. To celebrate, we are featuring four blog posts about World’s Fair history and the collection. Read the previous post here.

Part 3 of 4

Although the fairs are with us for just a short time and many of the fair grounds and their monumental buildings are no longer with us, the fairs have left behind an extensive amount of ephemera, photographs, periodicals, illustrations and pamphlets to make sure that the fairs are never forgotten.

The International Exhibition of 1862. London International Exhibition. Catalogs: color.

The World’s Fair Ephemeral and Graphic Material Collection in Hornbake Library (UMD Libraries, College Park) contains items for close to 40 different fairs and international expositions.  The ephemera portion of the collection includes advertisements, letters, postcards, tickets, trade cards, menus, souvenir ribbons and scarves. The graphic materials portion includes illustrations, maps, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, periodicals, photographs, prints, sheet music, stereographs and a stereograph viewer.

Crystal Schottisch – composed by W. Byerly. New York Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations (1853-1854). [Altered digitally for contrast]

La France a L’Amerique, La Liberte eclairant le Monde. Paris Universal Exposition of 1878. Bartholdi, Frédéric Auguste, 1834-1904. Badges: color.

Oorspronkelijk Nieux Cezelschapsel. Internationale Koloniale en Uitvoerhandel Tentoonstelling (1883 : Amsterdam, Netherlands). Game Cards: color.

Visit the recently expanded finding aid for the World’s Fair Ephemeral and Graphic Material Collection and A Treasury of World’s Fair Art & Architecture digital archive for more information.

Article by A. Moore, Historic Preservation Graduate Assistant.