Visual Materials

Client billboards

Description: This series contains photographs of client billboards created by Pacific Outdoor Advertising Company primarily in the Los Angeles region (and to a lesser extent San Diego) between 1930 and 1979, and by Gannett Outdoor Co. 1980 through 1996. 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.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1930-1996 (bulk 1950s-1980s)
Call number: Series 1
Provenance: Purchased from Dawson's Bookshop, 2009.
Restrictions: RESTRICTED: Collection is housed in cold storage; extended retrieval and delivery time required.

"Approach" views of billboards

Visual Materials

This series contains black-and-white negatives (some with accompanying prints) documenting street and highway locations of client billboards in the Los Angeles region and, to a lesser extent, San Diego, 1960s to 1980s. Pacific Outdoor Advertising and Gannett Outdoor Co. used the terminology "Approach" (abbreviated APPR on negative envelopes) to describe the street-level view of a billboard as seen on "approach" by a driver. The companies often shot sequences of 2-5 images to capture various distance sight lines of an approaching billboard. This is the only collection series that notes specific intersections and major thoroughfares, freeways, and streets along which billboards appear. Locations as indicated on negative envelopes have been transcribed below only for boxes 89-90.

Series 2

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Black-and-white negatives

Visual Materials

This subseries contains negatives (some with accompanying prints) depicting Pacific Outdoor Advertising billboards from ca. 1950-1979 and Gannett Outdoor Co. billboards from ca. 1980-1996. Most of the billboards are photographed in situ but location information, such as specific cities and streets, is rarely noted. Clients are listed in full for Boxes 17-21, and partially beginning at Box 22. Also included are billboards for political candidates primarily at the city and state level from 1963-1992 (bulk 1970s), which are organized by year and alphabetically by candidate surname (Box 33). One box contains Gannett Outdoor client billboards for the years 1993-1994 (Box 34).

Subseries B

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Gannett Outdoor: Client Billboards, A - T

Visual Materials

Also includes "Approach" views, political billboards, motion pictures, and operational photographs.

photCL 488

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Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection

Visual Materials

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).

photCL 488

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Client Billboards: "A" - Blatz

Visual Materials

This 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, 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 and installation, corporate facilities and the POA helicopter. Aerial views taken throughout Southern California document the various markets in which the company placed signage.

(Groups 096-156)

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Client Billboards: Marineland – Oldsmobile

Visual Materials

(Groups 569-682)

Client billboards

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"Approach" views of billboards

Black-and-white negatives

Gannett Outdoor: Client Billboards, A - T

Southern California Outdoor Advertising Collection

Client Billboards: "A" - Blatz

Client Billboards: Marineland – Oldsmobile