A new Perkins Library exhibit is inspired by the popularity of the AMC television series Mad Men, which centers on the lives of executives at a fictional advertising agency in the early 1960s.

The series, which ended its second season this past Sunday, has generated much discussion among viewers, as well as among present-day advertising industry professionals and media outlets.

Drawing from materials in the collections of the Special Collections Library's Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History, the exhibit highlights the real-life careers of 1960s advertising professionals who held positions in four of the types of agency occupations depicted on the television series: copywriters; creative directors; art directors; and account executives.

In this audio slideshow, Lynn Eaton, reference archivist, and Richard Collier, technical services archivist at the Hartman Center, discuss advertising in the 1960s and how reality differs and is similar to its latest portrayal on television.

To see slideshow click the image below: