The New York Public Library Explores The Personal Side Of Political Campaigning in a New Display of Buttons, Posters, and More

SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 -Presidential politics can get very personal, as candidates and their campaigns vie for the hearts, minds - and votes - of the American people.

To do this, campaigns arm themselves with materials - buttons, posters, flyers, tote bags, t-shirts, and so on - carefully created in an attempt to sway the public. These materials -- broadly categorized as political ephemera -- provide unique insight into the United States citizenry at any given time, as the materials are created to tap into current trends and collective mindset.

The New York Public Library’s Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy has been collecting political ephemera for decades, and has compiled thousands of items from the early 19th century to the modern day. A sampling of these materials will be featured in The Politics of Persuasion: 150 Years of Presidential Campaigning, a new display opening in midtown Manhattan September 30.

The display -- curated by Milstein Librarian Philip Sutton -- will be on the third floor of the Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street through October 19. Just weeks before the 2016 president election, it showcases a variety of materials connected to presidential elections over the last 150 years -- from a lapel pin with a portrait of Abraham Lincoln to a Barry Goldwater bumper sticker.  

Other featured items include:

  • Star Spangled Women for McGovern-Shriver program: Produced by actor Shirley MacLaine, Star Spangled Women for McGovern-Shriver was an all-female variety fundraiser for the 1972 Democratic Presidential ticket, showcasing the social issues of the time. Dionne Warwick, Tina Turner, Mary Travers, Judy Collins, and Cass Elliot, and a host of Broadway stars and Hollywood actors performed for 19,000 people at Madison Square Garden.

  • "Daily News: It's Carter" tote bag: A mere 12 hours after the Daily News had announced “It’s Carter!” on its front page in 1976, a tote bag emblazoned with the front-page was available to purchase for $7.95. This is now a ubiquitous promotional item, as it allows supporters to wear their support over their shoulders.

  • Young Voters For the President Poster: In July of 1972, the the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 became part of the US Constitution. This added 11 million new voters aged 18, 19, and 20 to the electoral rolls. In an effort to reach those young voters, the Nixon campaign created this “dorm room” poster -- a simple piece that tells a broader story.

  • 1972 Election Guide: Resembling the pull-tab engineering of a pop-up book, the Election Guide ‘72 is both a unique and creative example of printed ephemera and showcases how campaigns worked to educate the new voters added to the rolls as part of the 26th Amendment.

  • Democratic National Committee LGBT for Obama, 2008: This banner is an example of ephemera documenting the changing times and the evolution of an issue that eventually led to the Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage.

Support for The New York Public Library’s Exhibitions Program has been provided by Celeste Bartos, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos Exhibitions Fund, and Jonathan Altman.

Contact:

Sara Beth Joren | sarabethjoren@nypl.org

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