Ernest Dichter Papers - Hagley Museum and Library

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
Accession 2407
ERNEST DICHTER PAPERS
Publications
This series consists of 11 linear feet of Dr. Dichter’s newsletters and published
articles, plus some of his books. Dichter’s principal published works have been
transferred to the Imprints Department. Of particular note among the books are four of
the “Sacha” children’s books that Dichter originally wrote for his grandson Sasha and
then had published in France.
During his career, Dr. Dichter published four principal serials to disseminate his ideas.
The most important was Motivations, begun in 1956. This was the period when Dichter
was near the height of his influence and his ideas were considered new and exciting.
Through Motivations, Dichter broadcast some of the ideas and results of his private client
studies. Motivations is an interesting window into American middle class culture in the
mid-fifties, and contains a number of photographs of domestic life that show the clutter
and indifference to style that characterized most homes of that period, in contrast to the
abundant consumer durables and style-consciousness in dress and belongings that lay
over the horizon. It is not clear exactly when Dichter ceased publishing Motivations, as
his surviving file copies end in the middle of 1957. However, some later copies placed
among Dichter’s file of “Reprints,” indicates that publication continued until at least the
fall of 1958.
Dichter began publishing his first newsletter on October 13, 1953. In contrast to
Motivations, his Memo from the Desk of Dr. Ernest Dichter began as a simple typed
letter. However, it soon moved to offset printing and acquired illustrations. Memo is
particularly interesting because it is one of the few places in which Dichter described and
illustrated the practical workings of his Institute and his research methods. It contains
photos of tests underway and of the staff at work, even showing off their new IBM punch
card sorter to prove that their operation is up-to-date. Memo also includes Dichter’s
musings on current events, reports on his latest studies and doings, and the opening of
branch offices abroad.
In its last issue in 1964, Memo reverted to a typed format. The following year, Dichter
replaced it with Findings, an un-illustrated four-page offset newsletter, which he
continued for nearly the rest of his active career, ending the run in June 1986. As its title
indicates, Findings mixes information gleaned from the client studies with observations
on current events against a constant background of Dichter’s main intellectual themes.
He also used this newsletter to publicize his own movements and speaking engagements,
but these is little on the Institute’s inner workings as found in Memo. Findings is
therefore most useful as a record of the evolution or persistence of basic ideas in
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