Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection, approximately 1930-1996, bulk 1950-1989

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Summary

Abstract:
The Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection consists of photographs of billboards located in situ primarily in and around Los Angeles and, to a lesser extent, San Diego, from approximately 1930-1996 (bulk 1950-1989). The photographs, which are principally color slides (35mm) and film negatives (both black-and-white and color), were created by Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company (POA) and Gannett Outdoor Company for internal purposes and represent advertising for a wide variety of businesses, consumer products, and services. The bulk of the collection concerns POA client billboards, facilities, and activities ca. 1930-1979. Gannett Outdoor Co. acquired POA in 1979, and their materials cover the period ca. 1980-1996.
Extent:
93 Linear Feet (97 boxes) and approximately 77,000 Items:
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection depicts billboards located in situ primarily in and around Los Angeles and, to a lesser extent, San Diego. The billboards, produced by Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company from approximately 1930 through 1979, and by Gannett Outdoor Co. from approximately 1980-1996, advertise a wide variety of businesses, products, and services, including: beverages (many for beer and liquor); food; cigarettes and tobacco; transportation (especially automobiles, airlines and bus lines); hotels; restaurants; motion pictures; charitable and non-profit organizations, including regional cities and civic campaigns; political candidates for local and state elections; public service announcements (such as air raid and Cold War-related ads); radio and television stations; oil and gasoline companies; cemeteries; clothing companies; department stores; recreational facilities; and other commercial, political, civic, and institutional clients. In addition, there are images related primarily to Pacific Outdoor Advertising (POA) Company operations such as client presentations, billboard production, corporate facilities and the POA helicopter. Aerial views taken throughout Southern California document the various markets in which the company placed signage. For the most comprehensive client list, see Series 1, Subseries A: Color slides. While most of the billboards are photographed in situ, location information – such as specific cities and streets – is rarely noted. For images containing billboards with street information, see Series 2, "Approach" views, as well as "Plant Management" images in Series 3, (Box 94). Also in Series 3, a section both companies labeled "P.R." contains images of non-commercial billboards such as civic, governmental, and non-profit agency advertisements (Boxes 96-97).

Biographical / historical:

Helen A. Brown founded Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company in Los Angeles around 1928. Her son, Hal Brown, and later her grandson, Hal Brown Jr., served as presidents of the company. The company viewed photographic documentation of its product and operations as an "investment not an expense," according to one former employee.* To that end, POA employed a fleet of trained photographers who used specialized equipment to make negatives and prints of finished billboards (which they often gave to clients), and slides and transparencies for the company's internal use. Gannett Co. Inc. acquired Pacific Outdoor Advertising in 1979 through a merger with Combined Communications Corp., becoming Gannett Outdoor.

*Curator's interview with Rick Robinson about the history and dispersal of the Southern California Outdoor Advertising Company collection, March 6, 2015.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Dawson's Bookshop, 2009.
Processing information:

Volunteer Teresa Kennedy organized Series 1, Subseries 1 between 2011-2013. Suzanne Oatey and Jennifer Watts organized the remainder of the collection. The original order established by Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company was retained throughout.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in the following three series:

  • Series 1. Client billboards
    • Subseries A. Color slides (35mm), ca. 1930-1996
    • Subseries B. Black-and-white negatives, ca. 1950-1996
    • Subseries C. Color negatives, ca. 1979-1983
    • Subseries D. Color negatives, ca. 1984-1989
    • Subseries E. Color prints, 1980s-1996
  • Series 2. "Approach" views of billboards
    • Subseries A. Los Angeles, 1962-1983
    • Subseries B. San Diego, 1960s-1980s
  • Series 3. Pacific Outdoor Advertising Co. and Gannett Outdoor Co. operations, facilities, and employees, 1930-1993

Physical facet:
color slides (35mm), black-and-white and color negatives, black-and-white and color prints
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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