This series of Great Northern Advertising and Publicity department correspondence and miscellaneous papers, covering a wide range of subjects, and dating from 1924 to 1967, was generated by the following advertising agents, managers, or assistants: G. S. Wilson, Wilbert R. Mills, O'Kane J. McGillis, Charles W. Moore, Ivan A. Coppe, H. R. Wiecking, John Milton Hagen, and Frank F. Perrin.

All phases of advertising are reflected in the material. Many files relate to the production, requests for, and distribution of Great Northern's brochures promoting its services and new equipment. The files also contain correspondence with artists and photographers who were responsible for illustrations and photographs of Glacier Park facilities and scenery, Indians of the area, and scenery and buildings along the line, used on various advertising media. They include: W. Langdon Kihn, Winold Reiss, Leo Katz, Adolph Heinze, Joe Scheuerle, Carl Link, John Fery, Tomar J. Hileman, Stuart B. Hertz, Lawrence McKinnis, Roger Dudley, and Hedrich- Blessing Studio.

These office files are a small incomplete group of subject files, from 1937-1973, kept by Charles W. Moore, executive assistant of public relations and advertising. Subjects include: financial and statistical reports; Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis; Alfred D. Lindley's exploration expedition in Glacier Park; Glacier Park Company; Great Northern's Red Cross blood procurement car; St. Paul Railroad Day' Great Northern participation in the St. Paul Winter Carnival (St. Paulites, Inc.); Chicago Railroad Fair; train services; and the curtailment of service.

This series of outgoing letters, 1955-1960, is the combined result of the activities of various personnel from the public relations and advertising sections of the Advertising and Publicity Department. In 1946, public relations and advertising were combined as a single department, directed by Charles W. Moore, under the Executive Department. Prior to that time public relations had been an Executive Department function and advertising had been a responsibility of the Traffic Department. Close association with the Traffic Department continued after 1946 in matters relating to business solicitations and promotional advertising. The overall purpose was to create goodwill for Great Northern and the transportation services it provided, as well as for the railway industry as a whole.

The Great Northern advertising and publicity materials that appear on this microfilm are divided into two series: magazine and newspaper advertisements, 1884-1970 (microfilm reels 1-5) and magazine and newspaper articles and other publicity, 1911-1943 (microfilm reels 6-7).

The expense reports of the advertising department, for the years 1922-1924; 1927-1944, consist of a detailed breakdown of the money spent monthly on such categories as newspaper, periodical, and tour advertising; printing; art work and photography; motion pictures; billboards and window displays; distribution; departmental office expenses, plus others. These figures are summarized and used for comparative reports; on a quarterly basis; same month for the two previous years; for the previous year; by area, and totals for the year divided as to passenger, freight, or common expense.

Detailed information and facts issued by the Advertising and Publicity department on new equipment and services.

The format and content of the reports is very similar to that of the annual reports to the stockholders. The data is, however, slanted more directly toward the interests of the employees.

This series consists of correspondence and lists of station names by state.

A general description of the Spokane, Portland and Seattle territory is given in this rough unedited draft of a manuscript compiled by M. C. George, a judge in Portland, Oregon, supposedly for use in an historic and scenic booklet for the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway. The text is well illustrated with original photographs as well as some taken from other sources.

Much of the early history of the area, which includes a great distance along the Columbia River, is detailed with such interesting features as the trials confronting the early immigrants on their journey through this country, Indian conflicts and legends, geological aspects of the area, bridges, falls, electrical power, steamships, forests, fruits and other products, the Lewis and Clark route, salt cairn of Lewis and Clark at Seaside, Oregon, the Portland rose festival, and many others.

Broadsides from passenger station walls, including station timetables and broadsides advertising special train schedules.

Includes annual and monthly statements of revenue and expenses of standard and observation sleeping cars, tourist sleeping cars, and parlor and chair cars.

Includes printed materials and a blueprint.

Dedication and opening of the Great Northern Railway's new Cascade Tunnel, January 12, 1929. A monument to James J. Hill. Coast to coast radio broadcasting program. The set contains seventeen phonograph records (78 rpm) by the Victor Talking Machine Company.