This collection consists of innumerable varieties of soap packaging materials for various uses, developed by advertising agencies who often based their designs on the prevailing art movements or gained inspiration from, for example, film stars.

Early in its history, Dobbelman already engaged renowned advertisers. The company cooperated, for example, with the Amsterdam-based consultancy De la Mar from as early as 1880. The competitive soap and detergent industry contributed to the development of the concept of marketing, expressed by the unique names given to the soap brands.

Important visual arts movements of the 20th century can be recognized in the packaging and advertising material of Dobbelman. Posters with Art Nouveau designs, 1920s stickers with geometric patterns characteristic of Art Deco and wrappers based on pre-war Hollywood. The collection gives an impression of how soap was manufactured in the factory.

Since 1999, the collection and the archives of the Dobbelman Soap and Detergent factory can be found in the Regional Archives Nijmegen.  

Additional Dobbelman advertisements can be found in the collection 150 years of Advertising in the Netherlands compiled by ReclameArsenaal.