There’s an interesting article in The Times of London comparing the actual role of women in ad agencies in the ’60s to the image portrayed on Mad Men. Two extremely successful women, Mary Wells Lawrence and Charlotte Beers, are profiled. They fiercely debunk the idea that it was all cone bras, coffee-fetching and pandering to the boys club.

While I’m sure there’s an inkling of bravado (isn’t there always?), the women still provide fabulous quotes that make even the most headstrong female Mad Men characters seem like wilting lilies:

“There’s an atmosphere of tyranny that is required for people to stretch. I expected – demanded – a small miracle from each employee daily.”

“We weren’t lusting after each other. We were lusting after ourselves. We were all crazy about ourselves. Crazy about the talent that we all felt we had. When you are that self-centered, you don’t have room for romance with anyone else.”

Intrigued? Read the article here.

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