The collection primarily documents the packaging and display of Whitman's Chocolates. There is a pen and ink sketch from a New York newspaper dated from 1878 which is an image of the Whitman exhibit in Paris, France. Also included are advertisements clipped from newspapers and magazines dated1898 and 1934 as well as undated advertisiements. A scrapbook labeled as Mr. Greenwood's advertising and merchandising portfolio consists primarily of photographs of window displays and products. The window displays are from stores across the United States, including Burlington, Vermont; Louisville, Kentucky; Wichita Falls, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Huntington, West Virginia; Chicago, Illinois; Burlingame, California; Beverly, Massachusetts; Mobile, Alabama; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, New Jersey and Albany, New York. There are some materials relating to Mother's Day, including a short paper on the history of the holiday which states that the first observance was in Philadelphia in 1908. In addition, there are candy wraps, point of purchase displays, correspondence and a Good Housekeeping Bureau of Foods Sanitation and Health certificate from 1932. A second scrapbook of correspondence, advertisements, order forms, newsletters, and newspaper clippings dates from 1950-1952. There is also a fact book dated 1954 and an undated product book. Lastly, there is an undated photograph of Stephen Whitman. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
Whitman's Chocolates Collection of Print Advertisements, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection donated by Whitman's Chocolates, through Robert J. Dizutti, 1991, November 13.
Materials related to Stephen F. Whitman & Son are located in the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana (AC0060).
The Division of Home and Community (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds artifacts related to this collection, including packaging for some of its products. See Accession number 1992.0017.
Collection is open for research.
Collection processed by Stacy Coates, intern, 1991; supervised by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist.