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M-322: Dr. Allen B. and Helen S. Shopmaker American Political Collection
The Shopmaker Collection contains over three thousand items ranging from a George Washington token dated 1789 to buttons and textiles endorsing candidates in the 2008 election. The variety of objects reflects the changing tastes of the American public and the available production technologies, ranging from 19th century brass jewelry and clothing buttons embossed with candidate's names and party symbols to today's modern, mass-produced buttons, and from porcelain plates embellished with a portrait of First Lady Helen Taft to Nancy Reagan paper dolls. With artifacts representing nearly every American election, the Shopmaker Collection provides the viewer with a broad look at how candidates have used images, slogans and symbols to woo the public, and how the public has expressed its own, often outspoken, opinions on both individuals and issues.
St. Louis Mercantile Library Art Museum
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- William McKinley Paperweight
- Round, glass paperweight with sepia portrait of William McKinley encased inside.
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- William McKinley Ribbon
- Gold colored button with photographic color portrait of presidential candidate William McKinley. A red, white, and blue ribbon is folded around the button, making a decorative border, while the rest hangs down from the button.
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- William McKinley Token
- 1 and 1/4-inch gold-tone token with low relief profile portrait of William McKinley and his named in low relief block letters above the portrait. On the reverse, a female figure in draped clothing with her head down holds a shield. Next to the figure the words "Inaugurated president of the United States, Mar 4, 1897, Second Term Mar 4, 1909, Assassinated Sep 6, 1901, Died Sep 14 1901" are in low relief block letters.
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- William McKinley Tray
- 16-inch by 13-inch oval tin tray with a ¾ view, chromolithograph portrait of William McKinley. The portrait is framed by a repeating leaf and arch motif at the border of the tray. Below the portrait is an image of a nameplate with McKinley’s signature “W. McKinley”.
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- Wilson/Marshall Button
- White button with red text reading "Wilson Marshall." The button references presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson and vice presidential candidate Thomas R. Marshall. One 's' is shared between 'Wilson' and 'Marshall', connecting the two names. Prominent union label for Allied Printing Trades Council, Chicago (232).
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- Win With Rockefeller For President Bumper Sticker
- Red and blue bumper sticker with "Win with" printed in white at the top and "Rockefeller for president" printed in white at the bottom. This sticker was produced by "Rockefeller for President".
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- Wm. H. Taft Black Button
- 7/8-inch by 6/8-inch clothing (stud) button in the shape of a low relief shoulder-length portrait of William H. Taft. The words "Wm. H. Taft" are in relief under the portrait.
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- Wm. H. Taft of Ohio Button
- 7/8-inch round, pin back button with black and white portrait of William H. Taft on a dark background. The words "Wm. H. Taft of Ohio" are in white block letters below the portrait. Button has paper label on reverse for Whitehead and Hoag Co (Newark, N.J.) and Allied Printing Co. (Newark, NJ.)
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- Woman's Roosevelt Memorial Association Button
- 5/8-inch round, pin back button with profile portrait of Theodore Roosevelt engraved in gold. Reverse engraved with Standard Emblem Co., Providence, R.I.
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- Woodrow Wilson Button
- Button with photographic portrait of presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson with a narrow border of white stars on a blue ground and red and white stripes surrounding the image. A metal, decorative border surrounds the button.
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- Woodrow Wilson Postcard
- Postcard with a photographic portrait of presidential candidate Woodrow Wilson. The image is flanked by American flags and a bald eagle sitting atop the image. Underneath the image the postcard reads "We are but one of the Chaupions (sic) of the Rights of Mankind. We shall be Satisfied when these Right Have Been Made Secure Woodrow Wilson." The opposite side of the postcard is formatted with a place for a message, address, and stamp.
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- Write In Gene McCarthy Nov. 5 Sticker
- Blue sticker with a white cartoon dove in the center. To the upper left of the dove there is a white sun. Inside the dove, "Write in, Gene McCarthy, NOV. 5" is printed in blue. The design was made by "Wet Petal Press" at "947 North La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA".
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- Young Men's National Whig Convention of Ratification Ribbon
- Silk ribbon printed in black text reading "Young Men's National Whig Convention of Ratification" above an image of the American eagle seated on the shield emblem of the United States that is laid over tools and industrial implements while the eagle holds in its beak a ribbon reading "Protection", referring to Clay's belief in tariffs as protection for American manufacturing industries. Below this are the words "Henry Clay" above a black and white portrait of Clay; beneath the portrait are the words "Mind Your Business", again referring to Clay's platform; below these words is a color image of a farmer behind a plow pulled by one white and one grey horse with a large white house flanked by trees in the distance. Below the farm image are the words "The Ashland Farm" referring to the Clay home in Lexington, Kentucky. The ribbon is dated "Baltimore, May 2d 1844. Lith. by E. Weber & Co. Balto." Clay had been selected as the Whig party candidate for president at the convention in Baltimore on May 1, 1844.
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