Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Stanley Lomas Television Commercial Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.0342
Creators:
Lomas, Stanley
Dates:
1947-1990
bulk 1950-1956
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
7 Motion picture films
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Stanley Lomas Television Commercial Collection consists of 226 television commercials for products including dishwashing soap, beer, cigarettes, soft drinks, and breakfast cereals. The collection also includes a short 1954 film demonstrating the DuMont Electronicam, a camera designed for simultaneous live broadcast and film recording. There is also an oral history interview conducted with Stanley Lomas in 1990. Supporting documentation includes memoranda about the use of television in advertising, photographs, articles by or about Stanley Lomas, and an abstract of the oral history interview.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series.
Series 1: Supporting Documentation, 1947-1990
Series 2: Audiovisual, 1950-1990
Subseries 2.1: Television Commercials, 1950-1956
Subsubseries 2.1.1: Reel 1
Subsubseries 2.1.2: Reel 2
Subseries 2.2: Oral History

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Stanley A. Lomas (1913-2003) began working in television in 1948 at the DuMont network. He started his career producing sports broadcasts.. He went on to produce television commercials, first live and then filmed, for William Esty and Company, Inc., an ad agency with major clients including R.J. Reynolds, Coca Cola, and Colgate Palmolive. Around 1949 Lomas became Esty's vice president for televison commercial creation and production. Lomas often used celebrities to promote the products in his commercials. Many of the commercials in the Stanley Lomas Collection feature baseball players, Hollywood actors, and television personalities. Among the most well-known commercials are those that have doctors recommending specific cigarette brands. Lomas left Esty in 1957 and later founded his own agency, Stanley A. Lomas & Associates which specialized in market research. After retiring Lomas embarked on a career as an artist.

Administration

Author
Barbara Humphreys
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Stanley Lomas, January 18, 1990.
Processing Information
Processed by Barbara Humphreys, audiovisual archivist, 1991.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
Unrestricted research use on site by appointment. Only reference videos may be used. Reel 1 has been digitized and is available in the Smithsonian Institution Digital Asset Management Systen (DAMS).
Preferred Citation
Stanley Lomas Television Commercial Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction fees for commercial use. Copyright restrictions. Contact staff for information.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Baseball players -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Athletes -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Commercials Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Celebrities -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Television advertising -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Broadcast advertising Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cigarettes -- advertising -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Beer -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Carbonated beverages -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cereals, prepared -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Television cameras -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Soap -- 1950-1960 -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wayne, John, 1907-1979 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Keith, Brian, 1921-1997 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Moore, Garry, 1915-1993 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Heston, Charlton Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
DuMont Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Coca-Cola Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Colgate-Palmolive Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

Archives Center, National Museum of American History
P.O. Box 37012
Suite 1100, MRC 601
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
archivescenter@si.edu