Guide to the Darrell Lucas Advertising History Collection

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of a folio-size scrapbook created for a college-level psychology class in 1922. In addition, there is an oral history interview conducted by Stacy Flaherty with Mr. Lucas on April 3, 1990, in which he describes the initial use of psychology in advertising and his career at Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborne, Incorporated (BBDO). Mr. Lucas also donated a collection of books on the history and theory of advertising; these books are maintained in the Center for Advertising History, Archives Center reference library. Collection arranged in two series. Series one documents the work of Darrell Blaine Lucas in the advertising industry through the oral history interview. Series two is the scrapbook of printed advertisements from magazines created in 1922.

Series 1, Oral History Interview, 1990

Documents the work of Darrell Blaine Lucas, New York University (NYU) professor, in the advertising industry through an oral history interview conducted by Stacy Flaherty, director of the Center for Advertising History. The Center for Advertising History was created by the Archives Center to document the evolution of advertising practices, advertising's cultural impact on American society, and the prominent figures in the field. The interview, conducted in 1990, consists of an abstract of the conversation and the three reel to reel tapes and four audio cassette tapes it was recorded on.

Series 2, Scrapbook, 1922

Contains a scrapbook entitled "A Book of 100 Modern Ads" created for a college-level psychology class in 1922 as an exercise in the methodology of advertising. It addresses both the creation and testing (i. e., recall and effectiveness) of printed advertisements found in contemporary magazines.

Arrangement

Colleaction arranged in two series:

Series 1, Oral History Interview, 1990

Series 2, Scrapbook, 1922

Biographical / Historical

Darrell Blaine Lucas was born September 26,1903 to Leonard Lucas (August 29, 1859-February 27, 1953) and Uranda Moore Whitten (September 3, 1863-April 2, 1958) in Coldwater Township, Butler, Iowa. He attended Iowa State College and earned a doctorate in psychology. Lucas married Dorothy Eliza Carl (February 10, 1902-September 19, 1996) on December 24, 1924, in Iowa City, Johnson, Iowa and to the union one daughter Ann Harriet Lucas (May 11, 1934-January 29, 1993) was born. While employed by New York University (NYU) as a professor and head of the department of marketing Lucas worked one day a week as a research consultant at Batten, Barton, Durstine, and Osborne, Incorporated (BBDO). He was among the first psychologists on staff at an advertising agency, where his research provided information on marketing strategies. Throughout his career he wrote several publications including Psychology for Advertisers: The History of Advertising, 1930; Advertising Psychology and Research: An Introductory Book, 1950; and Measuring Advertising Effectiveness: McGraw Hill Series in Marketing and Advertising, 1963. Darrell Blaine Lucas died on September 29, 1995, in Montclair, Essex, New Jersey at the age of ninety-two.

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