Caution
Please note: magazines and advertisements are not scholarly sources. They are primary sources for studying history and culture.
If you are looking for scholarly sources, please use the library's other online guides, or contact a librarian at 540-654-1148 or refdesk@umw.edu.
Print ads
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Ad*AccessAmerican and Canadian print ads from the years 1911 - 1955. Provided by Duke University Libraries.
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AdlandIncludes print, TV, and radio ads. Most ads are from 2000 or later.
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AdRespectA non-profit organization that rates ads on their portrayal of LGBT themes. They host a large archive of print ads and TV ads, covering the 1920s up to the present. The archive can be useful for any ad-related research, not just research into LGBT themes.
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The Advertising ArchivesThis collection is focused on the United Kingdom, but it also includes ads from continental Europe and North America. It covers the years 1900 to present. You can register (for free) to view the images in larger sizes.
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American Periodicals Series OnlineAmerican magazines and newspapers published from 1741 to 1940. This is a UMW database, so access requires a UMW username and password. To limit your search to advertisements, use the Document Type menu.
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Early American Newspapers, Series 1 (1690-1876) & Series 2 (1758-1900)This collection contains more than 280 significant 18th- and 19th-century newspapers from every region of the United States. This is a UMW database, so access requires a UMW username and password. To limit your search to advertisements, first do a search. Then, on the search results, page, click on Article Type and select "Advertisement."
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Emergence of Advertising in America: 1850 - 1920American print advertisements from the years 1850 - 1920. Provided by Duke University Libraries.
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MagazineArt.orgAn online archive of art from magazine covers and advertisements, from the 1880s through 1940s.
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Philip Morris USA Inc. Advertising ArchiveThis archive of tobacco advertisements was created by the tobacco company Philip Morris USA, in order to comply with a legal settlement.
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ProQuest Historical NewspapersMajor American newspapers, from the mid-19th century to the 1990s. This is a UMW database, so access requires a UMW username and password. To limit your search to advertisements, use the Document Type menu, and select any or all of the following: "Advertisement," "Classified Ad," and "Display Ad."
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Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco AdvertisingA well-organized collection of tobacco ads. Includes both print ads and TV ads. Provided by the Stanford School of Medicine.
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Vintage Ad BrowserAn online collection of print advertisements. Most ads are from the 20th century; a few are from the 19th.
TV ads (commercials)
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The Ad CouncilThe Ad Council is a non-profit organization that produces public service announcements (PSAs). Among its successful PSA slogans are "Loose Lips Sink Ships," "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires," and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk."
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AdlandIncludes print, TV, and radio ads. Most ads are from 2000 or later.
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AdRespectA non-profit organization that rates ads on their portrayal of LGBT themes. They host a large archive of print ads and TV ads, covering the 1920s up to the present. The archive can be useful for any ad-related research, not just research into LGBT themes.
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AdViewsA collection of TV commercials from the 1950s - 1980s, provided by Duke University Libraries.
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Classic TV CommercialsA collection of classic TV commercials, mostly from the '50s and '60s, hosted by the Internet Archive.
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The Living Room CandidateAn archive of TV commercials from US presidential campaigns, from 1952 to the present. Provided by the Museum of the Moving Image.
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Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco AdvertisingA well-organized collection of tobacco ads. Includes both print ads and TV ads. Provided by the Stanford School of Medicine.
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YouTubeYouTube is perhaps the best online source for commercials. Try combining your search terms with the word "commercial" or "ad" or "advert" or "advertisement."
Radio ads (commercials)
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AdlandIncludes print, TV, and radio ads. Most ads are from 2000 or later.
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Old Radio World: Vintage CommercialsA fan site that hosts a small collection of radio ads.
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Old Time Radio AdvertisementsAmerican radio ads from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Hosted by the Internet Archive.
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Radio Commercials ShowsA small collection of old American radio ads. Hosted by the Internet Archive.