This is my latest, oldest and definitely coolest Presidential campaign button. It's from 1900 and features Republican candidates William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt. They defeated the Democratic ticket headed by Williams Jennings Bryan. I've seen it for sale for upwards of $75 but I got this one for $30 shipped. It looks better in person than it does in my scan.
McKinley defeated Bryan in 1896 and the two met again in 1900. McKinley and Roosevelt won that election but in September of 1901 McKinley was assassinated and Teddy took the Presidency. I don't really know a whole lot about McKinley but Teddy Roosevelt was one bad ass dude. Lots has been written about him but I can recommend two books that I've read: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris and River of Doubt by Candice Miller. That one is especially good. It's the story of Roosevelt's exploration of the Amazon. You can get them both dirt cheap on Amazon.
There is a famous campaign poster from McKinley's 1900 campaign that features the same slogan as the button.
I've picked up lots of campaign buttons in the last few months. It has sure cut into my card budget!
No comments:
Post a Comment