Twentieth-century political button and pin collection
Creator:
Call Number: D.529
Dates: 1950's-1970's
Physical Description: 11 boxes
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Table of Contents:

Biographical/Historical Note
Scope and Content
Subject(s)
Access
Use
Citation
Content List
Series I: Apolitical, religious, pop-culture, and sports pins
Series II: Campaign pins
Series III: Political and organization-related pins
Collection Overview
Title: Twentieth-century political button and pin collection
Call Number: D.529
Dates: 1950's-1970's
Physical Description: 11 boxes
Language(s): Materials are in English
Repository: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Biographical/Historical Note
Wearing visual indicators of presidential support is as old as the concept of a presidency in the United States: George Washington's initials were worn by his supporters and ferrotypes of Abraham Lincoln were pinned to clothing. Mass production of metal buttons was first used for William McKinley's 1896 campaign and, as button-making became more affordable, many buttons made in the 1950s and 1960s were made by grassroots organizers, not the official campaign itself.

While presidential campaigns have had slogans for many years, modern slogans added to pins like Coolidge's "Keep Cool-idge," Eisenhower's "I Like Ike," Johnson's "All the Way with LBJ," and Barack Obama's "Change We Can Believe In" have all been catchy ways to make a lasting impression on American voters; slogans like these from 1950-1960s campaigns can be seen in this collection.

Scope and Content
This collection contains approximately 500 buttons, 3 keychains, and 1 set of earrings. The majority of the buttons are political in nature and specifically reference campaigns. However, there are some buttons that reference religious events or groups, are political but only reference a party affiliation, are in support of groups like the American Red Cross or American Cancer Society, and some that reference pop culture like baseball, singers, and astrology. Most of the buttons in this collection are circular metal with a straight pin, however some are more detailed like a Nixon-Lodge brooch with faux pearls and diamonds, several LBJ pins in the shape of a cowboy hat, and the popular and fun Vari-Vue pins of the late 50's and early 60's.

Subject(s):
Political campaigns
Presidents--Election
Elections
Political button
Campaign button
Politicians
Access
The Twentieth-century political button and pin collection is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.Use
Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.eduCitation
[Item title, item date], Twentieth-century political button and pin collection, D.529, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Administrative Information
Author: Lisa Brigandi
Publisher: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester
Address:
Rush Rhees Library
Second Floor, Room 225
Rochester, NY 14627-0055
rarebks@library.rochester.edu
URL:


Content List