Processed by
Pamela Tranfield
November 1996
Revised by Dorothy Nicholson
26 March 2004
Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
2 document cases, 4 slide boxes. |
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COLLECTION |
Ca. 1926–77 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Paul D. Brown, 116 Diplomat Ct. #3, Beech Grove, IN 46107. Richard E. Harold, 6104 Broadway, Indianapolis, IN. |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
Slides may be viewed by appointment only; ask for assistance at library reference desk. |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
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RELATED |
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ACCESSION |
1979.0406, 1981.1109 |
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NOTES: |
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The General Outdoor Advertising Company was founded by L. R. B. Braun circa 1926. The company became the largest outdoor advertising company in the area and leased and maintained billboards at locations in and around Indianapolis until 1963.
In 1963 the Minneapolis, Minnesota–based Naegele Advertising Companies, purchased General Outdoor Advertising Company. It continued operating from the former company’s headquarters at 511 Madison Avenue in Indianapolis.
In 1985 Augusta, Georgia–based Morris Communications Corporation purchased Naegele Advertising Companies By 1990 it sold the Indianapolis division to Universal Outdoor of Chicago.
Sources:
Ameritech Yellow Pages Plus. Indianapolis: Ameritech Publishing, Inc., 1992
“Billboard Company Posts ‘For Sale’ Sign,” The Indianapolis News, 7 August, 1990, D1, P2.
Naegele Advertising Companies, Records of Incorporation. Indiana State Library Archives, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Naegele Advertising Companies, Records of Incorporation. Indiana State Library Archives, Indianapolis, Indiana.
“Outdoor Ad Firm to be Sold Soon,” The Indianapolis News, 4 September, 1990, D2, p. 1.
Polk’s Indianapolis Directory, 1926. Indianapolis: R. L Polk and Company, 1926
Polk’s Indianapolis Directory, 1927. Indianapolis: R. L Polk and Company, 1927
Polk’s Indianapolis Directory, 1964. Indianapolis: R. L Polk and Company, 1964
The collection consists chiefly of location snapshots of billboards and signs produced by the General Outdoor Advertising Company and the Naegele Advertising Companies, in and around Indianapolis and other central Indiana locations. These advertising billboards were referred to as “bulletins” by the two companies. Most of these “bulletins” promoted local businesses, retail sales, and public service messages.
Images from the 1920s to the early 1960s document advertising signs and billboards created and maintained by the General Outdoor Advertising Company of Indianapolis. The slides dating from 1963 to 1977 are those of the Naegele Advertising Companies. Viewed in its totality the images in this collection give researchers approximately fifty years of outdoor advertising history. Stylistic changes in graphic design can be seen as well as the changes to the urban and suburban landscape in Indiana brought about by the growth of the automobile industry and the development of the highway system.
The most frequently seen images are building exteriors, city streets, and rural road scenes with various vehicles of transportation. There are also images of a club awards presentation, a company picnic, various demographic maps of Indianapolis, a 1940 Presidential campaign banner, Soap Box Derby races, World War II–era Defense Bond events, and public service messages. The signs were photographed at various locations and include images of streets, highways, department stores, factories, grocery stores, and service stations.
The collection contains approximately 600 black-and-white photographs and 1200 color slides. The processors arranged these materials into four series.
Series 1 contains 117 black-and-white photographs, showing street scenes of Indianapolis in the late 1920s. Most scenes include billboards belonging to the General Outdoor Advertising Company. One photograph shows a billboard belonging to the Thomas Cusack Company. Fifty-nine photographs are original items, and fifty-eight items are copies enlarged from the original photographs. The previous owner may have made the copies in 1979. The processor arranged the photographs in folders according to street names, and assigned titles in [ ] brackets.
Series 2 contains approximately 500 black-and-white photographs from the General Outdoor Advertising Company. They are arranged by negative numbers assigned by the company or donor. The time period covered is ca. 1930s to 1940s. The images are identified according to the name of the particular promotion, brand-name or sponsoring company. Folder titles include negative numbers. The nitrate negatives are stored off-site and are not available for viewing.
Series 3 contains approximately 800 color slides, identified as “Sales Presentations.” The slide numbers were assigned by the company or donor and the images are not in chronological order. This series contains images created by both the General Outdoor Advertising Company and the Naegele Advertising Companies. A few slides contain images of other outdoor advertising company billboards. The slides from the 1940s and 1950s can be identified predominately as the General Outdoor Advertising Company. The slides that were produced after 1963 are from the Naegele Advertising Companies in Indiana with a few images identified as being outside Indiana and produced by other companies.
Series 4 contains approximately 350 color slides numbered 508[a]–859[a]. The slide numbers were assigned by the company or donor. The processor added the “a” in brackets to denote different images from Series 3 slides as the numbers are duplicates. These slides are arranged by topics assigned by the company or donor. They were produced by both General Outdoor Advertising Company and the Naegele Advertising Companies. Many of these same topics here are found in the Sales Presentations of Series 3. The one subject in this series that does not seem to relate to either company is the group of slides showing the casting and construction of a fountain in 1977.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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[10th Street] |
Box 1, Folder 1 |
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[22nd Street] |
Box 1, Folder 2 |
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[Alabama Street] |
Box 1, Folder 3 |
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[Capitol Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 4 |
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[Central Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 5 |
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[College Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 6 |
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[Delaware Street] |
Box 1, Folder 7 |
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[East Street] |
Box 1, Folder 8 |
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[Fall Creek Boulevard] |
Box 1, Folder 9 |
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[Illinois Street] |
Box 1, Folder 10 |
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[Indiana Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 11 |
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[Kentucky Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 12 |
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[Madison Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 13 |
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[Market Street] |
Box 1, Folder 14 |
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[Massachusetts Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 15 |
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[Meridian Street] |
Box 1, Folder 16 |
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[Michigan Street] |
Box 1, Folder 17 |
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[Northwestern Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 18 |
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[Oliver Street] |
Box 1, Folder 19 |
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[Pennsylvania Street] |
Box 1, Folder 20 |
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[Prospect Street] |
Box 1, Folder 21 |
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[Range Line Road] |
Box 1, Folder 22 |
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[Senate Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 23 |
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[Shelby Street] |
Box 1, Folder 24 |
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[Southeastern Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 25 |
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[Virginia Avenue] |
Box 1, Folder 26 |
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[Walnut Street] |
Box 1, Folder 27 |
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[Washington Street] |
Box 1, Folder 28 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Pure Oil Company Bulletins. Negative numbers: 1–33. |
Box 1, Folder 29 |
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Life Begins in “40” political ad
on Columbia Club; Indianapolis Machinery Co.; Miller’s; Wassons; Rost Jewelry;
Bill Kuhn Chevrolet; East Washington Chevrolet; Irvington Chevrolet; North
Side Chevrolet; Vonnegut Warehouse; U.S. Rubber Co.; Rost Jewelers; Indianapolis
Water Co. (Circle); George J. Marott Co.; Rinks; Metropolitan Coal Co.; Levy
Building; Spencer’s Restaurant. |
Box 1, Folder 30 |
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Sunkist Florida Oranges; Falls City
Beer; Flanner House. |
Box 1, Folder 31 |
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Milk ad; Kroger’s tea; Vimms
Vitamins; Taystee Bread; Tex-Maid grapefruit and oranges; Indianapolis City
of Homes (Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce); 7up. |
Box 1, Folder 32 |
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Coca Cola at East Washington and
Alabama; Indianapolis Power & Light; Guide Lamp; Crosley Radio; General
Tire; Budweiser Beer; Atkins Savings & Loan; Buckley’s Restaurant. |
Box 1, Folder 33 |
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Floyd Gatewood Distributor;
Schwitzer-Cummins Co.; Sterling Beer; Shinola; Indianapolis Real Estate Board
1939; Sears Toyland; Sunkist. |
Box 2, Folder 1 |
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Texaco; Pepsi-Cola; 16th
& Meridian; Marathon garage; Hotel Spink; Victory Field; Odd Fellow
Building; Loews Theater [1942]. |
Box 2, Folder 2 |
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Coca-Cola; City Market; Rink’s; L. Strauss & Co.; Guarantee Tire; Lux Laundry; Municipal Airport. Negative numbers: 236–271. |
Box 2, Folder 3 |
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Meridian Street locations;
Christmas displays; Claypool; Jones-Maley 1941 DeSoto; Coca-Cola; Citizens
Gas; Gaseteria; G.M.A.C.; Railroadmen’s; Consolidated Finance; tobacco ads;
Shoot the Dictators; Citizens Coke. |
Box 2, Folder 4 |
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Indiana Trust Co.; Morris Plan;
Texaco; Sales Punch Board; Idea Club Box 1939–1950; Prize turkey presentation
1939; Lincoln, Mercury, Ford 1941; 7 Up. |
Box 2, Folder 5 |
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Iced coffee; Chesterfield;
Kellogg’s; Wiedemann’s; Red Crown Gas; Falstaff; Kool-Aid; Spur soft drink;
City Market. |
Box 2, Folder 6 |
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Chevrolet; Consolidated Finance;
Defense Bonds; Norge; Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer; Pure Oil Co.; Shell Oil Co.;
Seville Restaurant; Wiedemann’s Beer; Easter Seals. |
Box 2, Folder 7 |
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Store window displays;
Indianapolis Water Co.; Sherwin Williams; Bill Kuhn Chevrolet; Kroger tea;
Milk Council. |
Box 2, Folder 8 |
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Ajax Beer; Shell at Madison Ave. & Meridian. Negative numbers: 641–716. |
Box 2, Folder 9 |
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Soap Box Derby; Indianapolis
Power & Light Co.; General Tire Co.; Washington St. looking east and west;
Alabama & Washington St. |
Box 2, Folder 10 |
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Chevrolet cooperative bulletins
1941; Sherman House; Batesville; Shell Oil. |
Box 2, Folder 11 |
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Indianapolis street scenes. |
Box 2, Folder 12 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 1 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 2 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 3 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 4 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 5 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 6 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 7 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
ca. 1950s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 8 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 9 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box1, Bin 10 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 11 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 12 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 13 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 14 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
Public Services WW II. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 15 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.:
Public Services WW II. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 16 |
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Indianapolis maps showing
locations of grocery stores, restaurants, parks, boulevards, golf courses,
liquor, beer and wine outlets, filling stations, employees homes, primary
streets, churches, traffic signals, and drug stores. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 17 |
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Indianapolis maps showing
locations of grocery stores, restaurants, parks, boulevards, golf courses,
liquor, beer and wine outlets, filling stations, employees homes, primary
streets, churches, traffic signals, and drug stores. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 18 |
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Indianapolis maps showing locations
of grocery stores, restaurants, parks, boulevards, golf courses, liquor, beer
and wine outlets, filling stations, employees homes, primary streets,
churches, traffic signals, and drug stores. Soap Box Derby 1941. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 19 |
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Indianapolis Maps showing
locations of beauty parlors, theatres, traffic flow, industries, schools, and
grocery stores. |
Slide Box 1, Bin 20 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.: National defense messages for coal and ice and, florists, ca. 1940s. Slides: 280–296. Florida Bulletins. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 1 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies: United Fund 1964. Slides: 303–319. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 2 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 3 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 4 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 5 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation Indianapolis maps. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 6 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies: Indianapolis
maps ca. 1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 7 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 8 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 9 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 10 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 11 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 12 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 13 |
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Naegele Advertising Companies:
sales presentation |
Slide Box 2, Bin 14 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 15 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 16 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 17 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 18 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 19 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 2, Bin 20 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 1 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 2 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 3 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 4 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 5 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 6 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 7 |
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Sales presentation, ca.
1940s–1960s. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 8 |
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Life insurance. Slides: 508[a]–527[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 9 |
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Life insurance. Slides: 528[a]–544[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 10 |
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Food. Slides: 545[a]–564[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 11 |
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Food. Slides: 565[a]–583[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 12 |
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Liquor. Slides: 587[a]–610[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 13 |
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Banks. Slides: 611[a]–628[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 14 |
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Banks. Slides: 629[a]–643[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 15 |
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Indianapolis maps. Slides: 644[a]–661[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 16 |
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Indianapolis maps. Slides: 662[a]–678[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 17 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co. ca. 1940s; group of slides labeled “Rotary” promoting local Indiana businesses. Slides: 679[a]–700[a]. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 18 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co. ca. 1940s; group of slides labeled “Rotary” promoting local Indiana businesses. Slides: 701[a]–706[a]. Naegele Advertising Companies; automobiles |
Slide Box 3, Bin 19 |
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General Outdoor Advertising Co.
ca. 1940s; Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce advertising the World War
Memorial. Naegele Advertising Companies, ca. 1960s political advertising. |
Slide Box 3, Bin 20 |
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Knoxville Poster Advertising Co.;
WBIR-TV, ca. 1960s. Slides: 736[a]–741[a]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 1 |
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Coal; ca. 1940s. Street scenes;
Jong Mea Restaurant; Dr. Pepper; Clean-up Paint-up Fix-up Time; Tucker Real
Estate; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Revlon; Lawn Lite; Yellow Pages; ca. 1960s.
Slides: 750[a]–761[a]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 2 |
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Irvington Ice and Coal, ca.
1940s. Fab laundry detergent; Tuchman Cleaners, ca. 1960s. Slides: 787[a]–791[a]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 3 |
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Haag Drug Stores; Hook’s Drug
Stores; ca. 1960s. Slides: 792[a]–786[a]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 4 |
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Sheraton-Lincoln Hotel, ca. 1960s. Hotel Warren, ca. 1940s. Slides: 808[a]–820[a]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 5 |
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East Drive Fountain [Woodruff Place?], casting and construction [1977]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 6 |
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East Drive Fountain [Woodruff Place?], casting and construction [1977]. |
Slide Box 4, Bin 7 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://157.91.92.2/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, P 0001).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.