John Donnelly & Sons, Inc. (1850-1978)
Historical note
John Donnelly & Sons was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1850 by bill poster John Donnelly and became one of the most prominent outdoor advertising companies on the east coast. The company created many of the Boston area’s most iconic signs, including the Shell Oil Company and Gillette Company signs.
John Donnelly’s first clients included clipper ship operators advertising for passengers looking to participate in the Gold Rush in California, and P. T. Barnum. In 1891, Donnelly's son Edward C. Donnelly helped found the Associated Bill Posters Association to increase industry standardization. In the 1890s, the firm began to expand out of Boston into neighboring towns.
When Edward C. Donnelly died in 1927, he left the business to his sons, Edward C. Donnelly Jr. and John Donnelly. In the 1930s, the business was expanding from posters and billboards into electric and neon signs. In the 1940s, a new manufacturing division for steel and aluminum manufacturing and radar products was formed. This division supported war efforts, including producing parts for the atomic bomb. The company also continued to expand its geographic reach, with offices in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia by 1950, and later in Chicago, Illinois and Miami Beach, Florida.
National and local legislation regulating or banning billboards reduced business in the 1960s and 1970s. The Highway Beautification Act of 1965 and the ban on billboards in Newton and Brookline contributed to the company’s gradual decline. Edward C. Donnelly Jr. died in 1972, and in 1978 the company was liquidated.
Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) Identifier
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
John Donnelly & Sons records
Collection contains awards, business records, family papers, photographs, and scrapbooks related to the Massachusetts based outdoor advertising firm John Donnelly & Sons. Scrapbooks compose the largest series and consist mainly of newspaper clippings regarding both the company’s activities and advertising in general. Materials date from 1884 to 1998.
Collection is open for research; a portion is available digitally. Some materials are quite fragile; take care in handling. The photographs in box 46 are closed pending conservation review.
Audio recordings have been digitally copied; all original media were retained, but may not be played due to format. Digital use copies can only be accessed in the Burns Library Reading Room.