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The Reclamearsenaal originated in 2001 from a fusion between the Nederlands Reclamearchief (Dutch Advertising Archive, 1981) and the Nederlands Reclame Museum (Dutch Advertising Museum, 1975).
The collection consists of books, printed matter, advertisements, periodicals, brochures, scrapbooks and posters. The posters (c 10.000) and frames were moved to the Affichemuseum in Hoorn. They can also be found in the website of Reclamearsenaal.
The books, brochures and scrapbooks - about 1300 items altogether - are included in the IISH collection and retrievable in the catalogue via collection code NRM. The following are but a few of the titles: Muziek in de reclame [Music in advertising], Reclame in oorlogstijd [Advertising during the war], Op gevels geschreven [Messages on gables], De verborgen verleiders [Hidden temptations], Alles over behang [All about wallpaper], Twaalf wenken voor succes en geluk [Twelve hints for success and happiness].
The collection comprises many commemorative and anniversary albums. Some examples: Honderd jaren lettergieterij in Amsterdam [A century of letter casting in Amsterdam], Vijfentwintig jaar Vrij Nederland [Twenty-five years of Vrij Nederland], Brinkers' Margarinefabrieken 1878-1953 [Brinkers' margarine factories 1878-1953], 150 Jaren Van Gend & Loos 1796-1946 [150 years of Van Gend & Loos 1796-1946]. The 133 different periodicals feature fine specimens of graphic design in advertising as well. Prikkels, huisorgaan van Proost en Brandt (1952-1981) is a wonderful magazine issued in many different designs. Each issue looks entirely different.
There are also complete volumes of De Reclame (1922-1938), Revue der reclame (1938-1972), Ariadne (1946-1983) and of course the Jaarboek van de Art Directors Club Nederland (almost complete from 1973 to 1996). The 229 descriptions in the catalogue provide access to over 800 scrapbooks. The books recapture the advertising in dailies and weeklies in the years following World War II.
The entries are by agency, such as: Bauduin Marketing, Palm, Reclamebureau De La Mar and GGK Amsterdam. Names of brands and companies have been included wherever possible. Over 160 scrapbooks are from Reclamebureau De La Mar and contain prints of advertisements and clippings from the different media for products of the Koninklijke Verkade Fabrieken (Zaandam) and Philips Nederland N.V. Other scrapbooks present advertisements for government staff (state information service, Ministry of Defence) and clippings for the Aidsfonds Amsterdam.