Title: Bernard J. Paulson Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1905-1994

Creator:

• Paulson, Bernard J., 1889-1971

Call Number: PH 4899; PH 4900; PH 4901; PH 4902; WHi (P2); M88-217; AC 537; AC 538; CB 099

Quantity: 10.8 c.f., 400 photographs, 82 negatives, 44 transparencies, and 3 films

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

See the catalog entry for information of possible additional materials and shelf locations.

Abstract:

Papers of Bernard J. Paulson, a Milwaukee advertising executive, entrepreneur, inventor, and writer, documenting both his business career and his personal life. The papers include the personal correspondence and financial records of Paulson, Getta Broughton, and other members of his family; records of early work as a salesman and writer for the International Harvester Company in Montana and Chicago; and limited business correspondence, financial records, client records, and advertising copy from a number of Milwaukee advertising agencies with which Paulson was associated, 1921-1961. The collection also includes drawings, correspondence, and patent records for other many items invented by Paulson, three 16mm home movies, 1957-1959, and photographs and negatives showing family activities, Paulson company products, and International Harvester machinery.

Note:

The films in this collection also are being cataloged individually.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-m88217

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

Milwaukee advertising agencies with which Paulson was associated include Klau-Van Pietersom-Dunlap-Youngreen, B.J. Paulson Associates, Paulson-Gerlach & Associates, and Hoffman, York, Paulson & Gerlach. Clients of these agencies included J.I. Case and Company and Wisconsin Motors. There is also material about the Fair Play Creed, an idea Paulson developed in 1941 to encourage national unity.

The collection also includes the records of Paulson’s brief tenure as president of the First Agency Advertising Group, a 28-city network of small advertising agencies, and his post-retirement activities as an unpaid public relations consultant to the Wisconsin Heart Association. Other records pertain to Arkitoys and O-Riginal Products, small businesses owned by Paulson for the manufacture and promotion of toys and novelties of his invention. There are also drawings, correspondence, and patent records for other many other items invented by Paulson. In addition, there are drafts and correspondence pertaining to non-fiction writings; three 16mm home movies, 1957-1959, of a trip to the Wisconsin Dells, Minnesota, California, and an oil industry exposition in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and photographs and negatives showing family activities, Paulson company products, and International Harvester machinery.

This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 6 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.

• Part 1 (PH 4899): Original Collection, undated
• Part 2 (PH 4900): Additions, undated
• Part 3 (PH 4901): Additions, circa 1910-1931
• Part 4 (PH 4902): Additions, circa 1927-1937
• Part 5 (WHi (P2)): Additions, circa 1910-1960
• Part 6 (M88-217, AC 537, AC 538, CB 099): Additions, 1905-1994

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mary P. Harrington; Belden Paulson, June 21, 1976 and September 22, 1976; Additions presented by Mary P. Harrington, Ogden, Utah. Accession Number: MCHC76-051, MCHC76-071, M84-431, M88-217, M91-177

PH 4899	Part 1 (PH 4899): Original Collection, undated Physical Description: 198 photographs, 1 negative, 11 transparencies, and 10 pieces of ephemera  Scope and Content Note: Photographs relating to Paulson, his wife, family, friends, and associates in Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin. Included are images of home interiors, outdoor life, street scenes, and farming scenes. Also included are stereoscopic transparencies made by Paulson.
PH 4900	Part 2 (PH 4900): Additions, undated Physical Description: 20 photographs, 32 transparencies, and 3 pieces of ephemera  Scope and Content Note: Photographs relating to the advertising career of Bernard Paulson as president of Paulson-Gerlach & Associates, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Included are group portraits; images from agency activities, visits to client sites including the Wisconsin Motor Corporation and Pet Milk, and industrial exhibits at the State Fair; and a photograph of Paulson with Frank Lloyd Wright. Also included are stereoscopic transparencies made by Paulson.	⇧
PH 4901	Part 3 (PH 4901): Additions, circa 1910-1931 Physical Description: 49 photographs (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Promotional photographs for agricultural equipment, mainly manufactured by J.I. Case and International Harvester Company, circa 1910-1931. Included are photographs of machinery working in fields, harvesting, cultivating, threshing, and plowing.	⇧
PH 4902	Part 4 (PH 4902): Additions, circa 1927-1937 Physical Description: 20 photographs and 4 pieces of ephemera (1 folder)  Scope and Content Note: Promotional photographs and brochures for toys and novelties designed by Bernard Paulson, circa 1927-1937. Included are images of Arkitoy Woo Construction Sets, Puzl-Wuzls, Scramball, and other items constructed and distributed by O-Riginal Products, Inc., and later by the Paulson-Memmel Company.	⇧
WHi (P2)	Part 5 (WHi (P2)): Additions, circa 1910-1960 Physical Description: 57 negatives  Scope and Content Note: Nitrate negatives made by Bernard Paulson and others of people and places in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Montana, circa 1910-1960.	⇧
M88-217	Part 6 (M88-217, AC 537, AC 538, CB 099): Additions, 1905-1994 Physical Description: 10.8 c.f. (10 record center cartons, 1 archives box, 1 flat box, 1 oversize folder), 113 photographs, 24 negatives, and 1 transparency (in 1 archives box), and 3 films	⇧
	Series: Biographical Material
Box   1 Folder   1	General biographical material
Box   1 Folder   2	News clippings, personal
	Series: Correspondence	⇧
	Personal correspondence
Box   1 Folder   3	Family, 1906-1994
Box   1 Folder   4	Bernard J. Paulson, 1918-1969
Box   1 Folder   5	Cards and invitations, 1928-1969
Box   1 Folder   6	Nancy Seaman, 1938
Box   1 Folder   7	Sympathy notes and cards about Franc Paulson, 1968
	General correspondence
Box   1 Folder   8	Rice Electric Display Company, 1911-1912
Box   1 Folder   9	1911-1919
Box   1 Folder   11-14	1920-1934
Box   1 Folder   16-21	1935-1968
Box   1 Folder   10	Castner correspondence (Montana Trade Journal Implement News) , 1913
Box   1 Folder   15	Gudmundson-Stratton Laboratory, 1934
	Series: Early Career Papers	⇧
Box   1 Folder   22	Multigraphing and Addressing Company, undated
Box   1 Folder   23	International Harvester Company, 1912-1920
Box   2 Folder   1-3	Treasure State Supply Company, 1915, undated
Box   2 Folder   4	Helena Dairy Products, 1917
	Series: Advertising Career Papers	⇧
Box   2 Folder   5	Western Advertising Agency (Racine), 1917-1921
Box   2 Folder   6	Smith, McCrory & Company (Milwaukee), 1921-1923
	Klau-Van Pietersom-Dunlap-Younggreen, Inc.
Box   2 Folder   7	Correspondence, 1923-1935
	Advertising accounts
Box   2 Folder   8	Weyenberger Shoe Company, 1924
Box   2 Folder   9	National Utilities Corporation, 1925-1927
Box   2 Folder   10	Promotional material, 1930, undated
	Scott-Telander Agency
Box   2 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1934
Box   2 Folder   12	Advertising materials, 1934-1936
	B.J. Paulson & Associates
Box   2 Folder   13	Correspondence, 1936-1940
	Advertising accounts
Box   2 Folder   14	Brown Swiss, 1937
Box   2 Folder   15	Miscellaneous accounts, 1938-1942
Box   2 Folder   16	Financial records, 1937-1939
	Paulson-Gerlach & Associates
Box   2 Folder   17	Incorporation documents, 1939-1940
Box   2 Folder   18	Correspondence, 1940-1958
Box   2 Folder   19	Training and promotional materials, 1942-1958
	Advertising accounts
Box   2 Folder   20	Besser Manufacturing
Box   2 Folder   21	Flash-O-Graph
Box   2 Folder   22	GI Nutcracker
	Joy-O-Dent
Box   2 Folder   23	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   24	Financial
Box   2 Folder   25	Thymo-Borine Laboratories
Box   2 Folder   26-27	Wisconsin Motors
Box   2 Folder   28-29	Fair Play Creed, 1941
	Sponsorship proposals
Box   12 Folder   1	Ford Foundation (Fair Play Creed), 1941
Box   12 Folder   2	International Harvester Company, 1941
Box   12 Folder   3	Machine Tool Company, 1941
Box   3 Folder   1	National defense, 1942-1944
Box   3 Folder   2	Post-war planning, 1943
	Financial records
Box   3 Folder   3-4	Audit reports, 1947-1958
Box   3 Folder   5-6	Financial statements, 1946-1954
Box   3 Folder   7-10	Financial records, 1941-1958
Box   3 Folder   11	Stock compensation issues, 1956-1958
	Hoffman-York-Paulson-Gerlach
Box   3 Folder   12	Consolidation, auditors report, 1958
Box   3 Folder   13	Correspondence, 1958-1965
Box   3 Folder   14	Promotional materials, undated
	Advertising campaigns
Box   3 Folder   15	Badger Tops
Box   3 Folder   16	California/Sutter Basin land promotion
Box   3 Folder   17-18	J.I. Case & Company
Box   12 Folder   4	Oversize material
Box   3 Folder   19	E-B Implement Company
Box   3 Folder   20	Goodyear Rubber Footwear
Box   3 Folder   21	Johnston's Cookies (Milwaukee)
Box   3 Folder   22	Miscellaneous early advertising materials
Box   3 Folder   23	Mueller Furnace Company
Box   3 Folder   24	National Fresh Water
Box   3 Folder   25	Oshkosh Construction Tools
Box   3 Folder   26	Rajo
Box   3 Folder   27	Signal Shirts
Box   3 Folder   28	Universal Milking Machines
Box   12 Folder   5	Walker Manufacturing
	First Advertising Agency Group
	Correspondence
Box   12 Folder   29	Brochures, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   1	Committees, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   2	Convention, 1958
Box   4 Folder   3	Curtis, Gene, 1957-1962
Box   4 Folder   4	Membership, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   5	Movie Project, 1958
Box   4 Folder   6	Paulson, B.J., 1957-1958
	Activities
Box   4 Folder   7	Al Aldridge situation, 1957
Box   4 Folder   8	Amendments and by-laws, 1957
Box   4 Folder   9	Awards Committee, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   10	Board of Governors, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   11	Biddle situation, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   12	Committee at large, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   13	Committee work, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   14	Conference, 1952-1954
Box   4 Folder   15	Conference data, 1958
Box   4 Folder   16	Conference materials, 1957
Box   4 Folder   17	Conference report, 1958
Box   4 Folder   18	Convention Arrangements Committee, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   19	Convention Site Committee, 1958
Box   4 Folder   20	Jason-Jenkins-Paulson controversy, 1958
Box   4 Folder   21	Membership Committee, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   22	Nominations Committee, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   23	“For Free” question, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   24	Policy, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   25	President's form letters, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   26	Program Committee, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   27	Prospective Chicago member issue, 1958
Box   4 Folder   28	Publicity Committee, 1957-1958
Box   4 Folder   29	Telephone survey, 1958
	Other advertising activities
Box   4 Folder   30	Ideas and suggestions, 1923-1930, , undated
Box   4 Folder   31	Milwaukee Advertising Club, 1944-1957, undated
Box   4 Folder   32	3-D advertising, 1953
Box   4 Folder   33	Miscellaneous
	Series: Toys and Toy-Related Companies Papers	⇧
	Arkitoys
	Correspondence
Box   4 Folder   34-39	General, 1927-1946
Box   4 Folder   40-41	G.B. Lewis Company
Box   4 Folder   40-41	1929-1930
Box   5 Folder   1-2	1931-1934
Box   5 Folder   3	Walco Bead Company, 1936-1941
	Financial records
Box   5 Folder   4	G.B. Lewis invoices, 1929
Box   5 Folder   5	Contracts, 1929-1941
Box   5 Folder   6	Salesman's reports, 1930, undated
Box   5 Folder   7	Inventories, 1930, undated
Box   5 Folder   8-11	Advertising and promotion, 1928-1932, , undated
Box   5 Folder   12-13	Plan books
Box   12 Folder   6	Plan diagrams
Box   5 Folder   14	Puzzle toy, 1932
	O-Riginal Products
Box   5 Folder   15	Organization and corporate records, 1932-1933
Box   5 Folder   16-18	Correspondence, 1932-1937
	Financial records
Box   5 Folder   19-20	General, 1932-1937
Box   5 Folder   21	Quotations and supplies, 1933
Box   5 Folder   22	Salesman's records, 1933-1934
Box   6 Folder   1	Legal records, 1933-1935
	Merchandise
Box   6 Folder   2	General, 1933-1937
Box   6 Folder   3	Designs and art, undated
Box   6 Folder   4	Decalmania, 1932
Box   6 Folder   5	Drum toy, 1933
Box   6 Folder   6	Etchy Ketchy, undated
Box   6 Folder   7	One-Man Band, 1933
Box   6 Folder   8	Scramball, 1932-1933
Box   6 Folder   9	Wisconsin Chair, 1932-1934
Box   6 Folder   10	Promotional material, 1932-1933
	Paulson-Memmel Company
Box   6 Folder   11	Correspondence, 1934-1937
Box   6 Folder   12	Contracts and agreements, 1935-1936
Box   6 Folder   13	Financial records, 1935-1937
Box   6 Folder   14	Inventories, 1934-1936
Box   6 Folder   15	Invoices, 1935-1937
Box   6 Folder   16	Promotional material, undated
	Series: General Business Papers	⇧
Box   6 Folder   17	Acro Die Casting Company, Acro Industries, 1931-1951
Oversize Folder   1	Drawings and blueprints for machine parts, cylinders, and valves, undated
	Elkhorn Mountains Dude Ranch, Montana
Box   6 Folder   18	Correspondence, 1924-1932
Box   6 Folder   19	Promotional materials, 1926
Box   6 Folder   20	Income producing properties, 1925-1958
Box   6 Folder   21	Ingomar Sheep Company, 1934
Box   6 Folder   22	Montana real estate, 1962-1966, , undated
Box   6 Folder   23	Namagosh Company, 1930-1940
Box   6 Folder   24	Paulson and Harrington, leases and contracts, 1915-1943, , undated
Box   6 Folder   25	Waukesha County Investment Association, 1960-1965
Box   6 Folder   26	Whitehorse Valley real estate, 1914
	Series: Inventions and Patents	⇧
	Correspondence
	General
Box   6 Folder   27	1927-1928
Box   6 Folder   28	1935-1954
Box   6 Folder   29	Notes, undated
Box   6 Folder   30-31	Patents, 1925-1958
	Inventions
Box   7 Folder   1	Early inventions, 1905-1909
	Miscellaneous inventions
Box   7 Folder   2-3	1930-1958
Box   7 Folder   4	1934-1951
Box   12 Folder   7	Invention diagrams, 1962, , undated
Box   7 Folder   5	Air compressor, 1944
Box   7 Folder   6	Bomb, 1942-1944
Box   7 Folder   7	Bridge stand, 1932-1941
Box   7 Folder   8	Chainsaw, 1946
Box   7 Folder   9	Clock, 1951-1962
Box   7 Folder   10	Floor billiards game, 1954-1964
Box   7 Folder   11	Friction furnace, 1938-1945
Box   7 Folder   12	Fuse data, 1932-1939
Box   7 Folder   13	Golf ball washer, 1930
Box   7 Folder   14	Ground loading trailer, 1949-1953
Box   7 Folder   15	Lawn mower vacuum rake, 1945-1949
Box   7 Folder   16	Liquo-Glo sign, 1934-1935
Box   7 Folder   17	Motor Touring game, 1923-1931
Box   12 Folder   8	Continued
Box   7 Folder   18	Multiple-stage rotary air compressor, 1931-1941
Box   7 Folder   19	Multiple-tier retractable snow plow, 1957
Box   7 Folder   20	Pineapple blower, 1944-1949
Box   7 Folder   21	Power lawn mower & attachments, 1945-1946
Box   7 Folder   22	Radial thrust ring propeller, 1944-1946
Box   7 Folder   23	Screen and storm sash hanger, undated
Box   7 Folder   24	Sliding door for automobiles, 1951
Box   7 Folder   25	Super parking gravity plant, 1941
Box   7 Folder   26	Tide generator, 1945-1947
Box   7 Folder   27	Tire pump, 1946
Box   7 Folder   28	Turbine unit, 1962
Box   7 Folder   29	Twin-Tank Hydro-Vac, 1962-1963
Box   7 Folder   30	Brokers and rackets, 1946-1960
	Series: Personal Papers	⇧
Box   7 Folder   31	Awards, undated
	Financial records
Box   7 Folder   32	Early financial records, 1915-1923
Box   7 Folder   33	General financial records, 1920-1940
Box   8 Folder   1-2	Personal compensation, 1937-1952
Box   8 Folder   3	Income tax returns, 1932-1938
Box   8 Folder   4	Insurance, 1960-1968
Box   8 Folder   5	Investments, 1963-1969
Box   8 Folder   6	Medical, 1928-1968
	Real Estate
Box   8 Folder   7	Farm, 1950, , undated
Box   8 Folder   8	Real estate option, 1958-1959
Box   8 Folder   9	Sale of section 33, 1967
Box   8 Folder   10	Sale of farm, 1969-1970
Box   8 Folder   11	Family cemetery plots, 1961-1964
	Legal records
Box   8 Folder   12	General, 1942-1953
Box   8 Folder   13	Bast & Sendik, 1968-1970
	Probate
Box   8 Folder   14	John Paulson estate, 1934-1935
Box   8 Folder   15	Franc Paulson estate, 1968
	Writings
Box   8 Folder   16	Correspondence Institute of America, critiqued material, 1908
Box   8 Folder   17-18	Editor correspondence, 1916-1940
Box   8 Folder   18a	International Harvester photocopies
	Article drafts
Box   8 Folder   19-22	A-L
Box   9 Folder   1-3	M-Z
Box   9 Folder   4	Untitled drafts
	Article manuscripts
Box   9 Folder   5	“Fabulous Lamp Chimney”
Box   9 Folder   6	“Inventors of America to the Rescue”
Box   9 Folder   7	“J. Oswald Nuttingham Invents”
Box   9 Folder   8	“Prospect for Two”
Box   9 Folder   9	“Spring Fear”
Box   9 Folder   10	Real America articles, 1935
Box   9 Folder   11	Miscellaneous published articles, 1917-1935
Box   9 Folder   12	Copyright article research
Box   9 Folder   13	Plot ideas and suggestions, 1935, , undated
Box   9 Folder   14	Radio gag ideas, 1934, , undated
Box   9 Folder   15	Song lyrics and poetry
	Other personal interests
Box   9 Folder   16	Milwaukee County Heroes Memorial drive, 1942-1943
Box   9 Folder   17	Mayor Carl Zeidler tribute book, 1946
Box   9 Folder   18	Milwaukee Stereo Society, 1952
	Curling
Box   9 Folder   19	Correspondence, 1954-1962
Box   9 Folder   20	Wauwatosa Curling Club, 1928-1962
Box   9 Folder   21	Curling, miscellaneous, 1960-1967
Box   9 Folder   22	Kiwanis Club, 1967
	Wisconsin Heart Association
Box   9 Folder   23	Correspondence, 1950
Box   9 Folder   24	Ideas, 1960-1961, undated
Box   9 Folder   25	Meetings and reports, 1960-1962
Box   9 Folder   26	Publicity Committee, 1960-1966
Box   9 Folder   27	Activities, 1961-1963
Box   9 Folder   28	AHA Annual Report, 1962
Box   9 Folder   29	Bequests and memorials, 1962
Box   9 Folder   30	Board material, 1962-1963
Box   10 Folder   1	Conference reports, 1962-1963
Box   10 Folder   2	Special gifts, 1962-1963
Box   10 Folder   3	Executive and District Committees, 1962-1964
Box   10 Folder   4	Activities, 1963
Box   10 Folder   5	Communications Committee, 1963
Box   10 Folder   6	Executive Committee materials, 1963-1964
Box   10 Folder   7	Projects, 1964-1965
Box   10 Folder   8	Activities, 1964-1966
	Family material
	Firefly Gift Shop
Box   10 Folder   9	Correspondence and financial, 1931-1933
Box   10 Folder   10	Trial balances, 1931-1933
Box   10 Folder   11	Broadway Dress Shop, 1934-1936
Box   10 Folder   12-13	Don Seaman guardianship, 1957-1967
	Getta Broughton
Box   12 Folder   9	Diploma, 1905
Box   10 Folder   4	Diary and address book, 1964, undated
	Correspondence
Box   10 Folder   15-16	General, 1938-1968
Box   10 Folder   17	David Bratt, 1962-1966
Box   10 Folder   18	Mary Harrington, 1961-1967
Box   10 Folder   19-21	Anna Nelson, 1961-1966
Box   10 Folder   22	B.J. Paulson, 1962-1966
Box   11 Folder   1	Hank Paulson, 1936-1968
Box   11 Folder   2	Eva Umbehocker, 1967-1968
Box   11 Folder   3	Financial records, 1936-1968
	Legal records
Box   11 Folder   4	General, 1965-1966, undated
Box   11 Folder   5	Roy Skow bankruptcy, 1965-1967
Box   11 Folder   6	Medical records, 1962-1967
Box   11 Folder   7	Probate, 1969
	Real estate
Box   11 Folder   8	Roy Broughton real estate business, 1945-1961
Box   11 Folder   9	Sale of home and furnishings, 1966-1968
Box   11 Folder   10	Family member writings
Box   11 Folder   11	Ephemera
	Photographs and negatives
Box   13 Folder   1	Family and friends
Box   13 Folder   2	Toys
Box   13 Folder   3	Tractor and Montana
Box   13 Folder   4	Dairy farm and rural scenes
	Moving images
AC 537-538	Two home movies by Bernard J. Paulson of travel to Minnesota, Detroit Lakes, Wisconsin Dells, and Sacramento, 1957-1960
CB 099	Travel from Milwaukee to Tulsa Oil Show, 1959