American Advertising Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Dissolved | 2004 |
| Location | Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Type | Private: Advertising |
| Visitors | 4,000-6,000 |
The American Advertising Museum was a special place in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It opened in 1986 and showed how advertising has changed from the 1700s all the way to modern times. The museum had both permanent displays and special shows that traveled there. These exhibits taught visitors about famous advertising campaigns, important people in the advertising world, and how advertising works in general. Before it closed at the end of 2004, the museum also had a library and a gift shop.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's Story
How the Museum Started
The American Advertising Museum first opened its doors in 1986. It was started by Mick Scott, with help from Leonard W. Lanfranco. Homer P. Groening, who was the father of Matt Groening (the creator of The Simpsons), was also one of the people who helped get the museum going. The museum officially opened on June 26, 1986, in a building called the Erickson Saloon. The idea for the museum came from the Portland Advertising Federation, a group of advertising professionals. When it first opened, it was the only museum in the world completely focused on advertising.
Moving Around Portland
For a short time, from 1995 to 1996, the museum was located on the Eastside of Portland. Then, in 1996, it moved to a new spot in Portland's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. A popular TV show called Antiques Roadshow even featured the museum in an episode in 1999.
In 2000, another museum about advertising and design, called the William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design, opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This meant the American Advertising Museum was no longer the only one of its kind. The AAM moved again in 2001, this time to a different part of Portland's Chinatown district. In 2003, an advertising agency won an award for designing the museum's stationery, which is like its official paper and envelopes.
Why the Museum Closed
By February 2004, the American Advertising Museum faced some financial challenges. The Eisner Museum in Milwaukee stepped in and took over the AAM's collections. In return, the Eisner Museum paid off the American Advertising Museum's debts, and the AAM officially closed. However, the Eisner Museum itself later closed in 2010 when its building was sold. Today, the location of the American Advertising Museum's old collection and important historical papers is still unknown.
What You Could See at the Museum
Inside the Exhibits
The American Advertising Museum had many interesting things for visitors to explore. It had a library filled with books, a collection of rare books, and original papers from big national advertising campaigns. There was also a gallery that showed off historic advertisements.
The exhibits often featured displays about famous characters and people from the advertising world. For example, one display showed how different advertising icons were used over time. The museum's permanent collection included advertisements from as far back as the 1700s.
Special Items and Displays
One unique item at the museum was one of the six original Jantzen Diving Girls. These large, iconic statues were once seen at places like Jantzen Beach Amusement Park and Portland's PGE Park. The museum, which was last located on NW Fifth Avenue, also had a gift shop where you could buy items related to advertising.
Other exhibits at the museum covered a wide range of topics. There were displays about the history of Coca-Cola ads, how advertising is used in political campaigns, and old ads for Cream of Wheat. The museum even had a fun section that paid tribute to some of the most memorable (and sometimes funny) "bad" advertisements. Another exhibit focused on the role of women in advertisements throughout history.
