Most of the materials in the AADL Archives fit neatly into boxes (both literally and figuratively): bound volumes of newspapers, photographic slides, years of magazine issues. But there are also things in our collection that are a bit harder to categorize and are a bit harder to handle--but that are an awful lot of fun. Some of these things fall under the heading of "advertising ephemera". You've all seen this type of thing before, especially from mid-twentieth century businesses:  things a business might giveaway to promote themselves. Postcards with images of dining booths. A calendar that would keep their company name on your desk year-round. And of course, that most ubiquitous bit of advertising ephemera, the matchbook.

We've digitized and presented a small part of our advertising ephemera collection here to (hopefully) amuse you. Sometimes these pieces were related to the business being promoted, sometimes one scratches one's head at the connection. Ponder over what that elegantly begowned parrot-owner has to do with an exterminator. Picture yourself owning your very own Markwell Punchmaster (available at George Wahr). And just appreciate the design and illustrations from another era.

If you have some of these sorts of delightful items in your collection and you would like to share them with the world, let us know by emailing oldnews@aadl.org. We are happy to add to our collections or simply borrow materials to be scanned and put online so the entire community can enjoy these artifacts of Ann Arbor's bygone businesses.

Ann Arbor Federal Savings and Loan Association, April 1955	This local financial institution was originally founded as the Huron Valley Savings and Loan Association in 1890. In 1939 it converted to a federal savings and loan association known as Ann Arbor Federal Savings and Loan Association. Through a series of acquisitions and mergers it was known as Great Lakes Federal Savings and Loan, Great Lakes Bancorp, Great Lakes National Bank, and TCF. The most recent change took place in 2021, when TCF merged with Huntington Bank.
Fred W. Gross operated a clothing store for 25 years, first at 115 E Liberty St and then at 309 S Main St. The store specialized in clothing for boys and men. After the store’s closure in 1930, Fred was a traveling salesman trading in clothing and gloves, and continued to provide tailoring services to the community.	Fred W. Gross, April 1920
Goodyear's	Goodyear's was an Ann Arbor institution for 95 years. Founded in 1888, it evolved from a dry goods store into a department store 4 times its original size. Despite the store’s growth, it maintained a philosophy of personalized service including free gift wrapping and deliveries. A second store operated at 213 S State St from 1950 until 1958. The Main Street staple, located at 122 S Main, met its demise in 1983 when the state closed it for a failure to pay taxes. It had been unable to withstand migration of retail to Briarwood Mall and the recent recession.
Harold C. Eastman, a real estate dealer and community leader, founded the Eastman Realtors and Insurance Company in the early 1950s. A resident of Ann Arbor for almost 40 years, he held numerous local, state, and national Optimist Club positions. After his death in 1981, the Ann Arbor Breakfast Optimist Club created the annual “Harold C. Eastman Outstanding Youth Award” in his memory.	Harold C. Eastman Agency
J. F. Wuerth Company	J. Frederick Wuerth became known for his ownership of the Wuerth and Orpheum theaters in Ann Arbor, but got his start in business in 1900 when he established Staebler and Wuerth, selling boys and mens clothing. The store eventually became J. F. Wuerth Company and was located next to his Wuerth Theater. In 1923 Albert Fiegel purchased an interest in the store and four years later he became the sole owner, subsequently changing its name to Fiegels.
Kurtis Exterminating was a pest control company that operated in the Ann Arbor area for most of the twentieth century.  Stephen Kurtis emigrated to the US from his birthplace in Karatoula, Greece and started his business in 1930, two years after his arrival in Ann Arbor.  In the 1960s, he passed the business along to his daughter, Constance Opal, who ran it until its closure in 2001.  Kurtis Exterminating was a long-time supporter of local ball clubs, participating in the business softball league and sponsoring boys’ baseball teams.	Kurtis Exterminating Company
Master Furrier	Master Furrier was a shop that provided sales and services such as fur repair, cleaning, and cold storage.  Opened in 1947 by Max and Ella Deess, the business thrived at 215 S Main enough to move in 1950 to the larger space at 221 E Liberty that was once home to Osias Zwerdling’s famed fur shop.  It remained on E Liberty for over 25 years when it was sold to David and Marion Rumford, who moved it to the Lamp Post Plaza then later to the Courtyard Shops, where it operated until the early 1990s.
In 1908, Oscar David Morrill organized the O. D. Morrill Co. in Ann Arbor, selling stationery and office supplies. His brother Ralph became manager of the store in 1925, and owner when Oscar died in 1949. The business evolved by focusing on mechanical implements including typewriters, adding machines, dictation machines, and wire recorders. Customers could also buy or rent office furniture from the outlet. In 1972 it briefly became Morr’s On State before closing for good a few years later.	Morrill's
Mundus & Mundus, 1959	Mundus Insurance Agency, an independent insurance brokerage, was founded in Ann Arbor in the early 1930s by Joseph W. Mundus. The firm became Mundus & Mundus in 1949 when his son William joined the family business. William J. Mundus managed the firm until his retirement in 1983. In 2004, Mundus & Mundus was acquired by ALCOS, Inc., one of Michigan's largest privately held insurance and benefits agencies.
When the Sugar Bowl opened in 1910, it was a penny candy store featuring homemade ice cream and hand dipped chocolates made in the Preketes family apartment upstairs. Greek brothers Paul and Charles Preketes ran the original business, soon joined by two more brothers, Frank and Tony. Over the years the store grew into a beloved restaurant, cocktail lounge, and mainstay of downtown Ann Arbor--though members of the Black community tell a different side of things, remembering it as a place they were not welcome. In 1965, after 55 years of business and the death of Charles Preketes, the remaining brothers sold the Sugar Bowl and retired.	Prekete's Brothers Sugar Bowl
George Wahr, Publisher and Bookseller	George Wahr, publisher and bookseller, operated for over 80 years in Ann Arbor. The first store was located on Main Street, followed by a second location on State Street. Founded in 1887 after Wahr bought out his business partners George Osius and Charles H. Ludlow, the store stocked books for students and residents, wallpaper, pens, stationery, and even sporting goods for a time. The firm’s publishing output included textbooks, novels, children’s books, and calendars. Ownership passed from George to his daughter, Nathalie Wahr Sallade, who handed it on to her son, George Wahr Sallade. The bookstore’s stock was sold to Tom and Louis Borders in the 1970s, but the publishing business continued under the younger George's leadership.
George Wedemeyer started out as a teenager operating the “wireless” on board a ship.  After earning his electrical engineering degree (and helping with Ann Arbor’s first commercial radio station, WQAJ), he became a radio designer and repairman.  His shop, first opened in 1927, was located in a succession of buildings from 110 E Washington to 221 E Liberty to 215 N Fourth (the “Wedemeyer Block”, now a parking lot) and finally to 2280 S Industrial.  The business grew to include all types of electronics and had additional locations in Ypsilanti, Adrian, and Lansing.  The company was purchased by Wichita-based RSC Electronics in 1994 after Wedemeyer’s death and the local location had closed within a decade.	Wedemeyer Electronic Supply Company
W. J. Landers, Contractor	Rev. Willard Jess Landers & his wife Crelia, opened their family business, Landers Contracting Company, in 1945. They operated it together in Washtenaw County until Willard’s retirement in 1971. Their son Doyle Landers took over management until the business was sold in 1978. While overseeing the contracting business, Rev. Landers also served as a minister in the Pentecostal Church of God.

Matchbooks from Ann Arbor's Past

Bicycle Jim's Matchbook	Bill Knapp's Matchbook	Bolgos Restaurant Tuebingen Room Matchbook	Bolgos Restaurant Tuebingen Room Matchbook	Bolgos Convenience Store Matchbook
Campus Inn Matchbook	Clint Castor's Village Bell Matchbook	John Leidy Shop Matchbook	Leo Ping's Matchbook	Lim's Matchbook
Maude's Matchbook	Overbeck Book Store Matchbook	Tee and Ski Matchbook	Thano's Lamplighter Matchbook	The Pretzel Bell Matchbook
The Real Seafood Company Matchbook	The Real Seafood Company Matchbook	University Motel Matchbook