Just where do you think you're going ... and do you need help packing? If you do, maybe this 1953 pamphlet from Carol Lane, the women's travel director of Shell Oil can help make your #TravelTuesday a little easier.
The Vacation Dress-O-Graph pamphlet presented the traveling woman of the 1950s "a practical guide for a packable, versatile two-week wardrobe." Its author, "Carol Lane" was the pseudonym of Caroline Iverson Ackerman (1918-2012), an aviator, journalist, reporter and educator. Ackerman (nee Engval) began her career teaching courses in aviation at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Milwaukee School of Engineering. In 1942, she was hired by Life magazine as an aviation reporter, which eventually led to her installation at the magazine as its aviation editor.
In 1947, she was hired by Shell Oil, where she founded the company's first program for public relations for women, based on family automobile touring. Ackerman worked for Shell Oil Company from 1947 to 1950, as the first "Carol Lane, Women's Travel Director of Shell Touring Bureau." The pseudonym was passed to others after she left the company to pursue other career opportunities, and was used by the company until 1974. The iteration of Lane behind this pamphlet was likely Madeline B. Brown (1931-2013).
This item is call number Pam 2010.030 in Hagley Library's collection of trade catalogs and pamphlets. You can view it in its entirety online in our Digital Archive by clicking here.