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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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- Billy Possum and Jimmie Possum on the Links Postcard
- Double-sided caricature postcard of Billy Possum, an animal character representing William H. Taft, and Jimmy Possum, an animal character representing James S. Sherman who was Taft's vice-president, playing golf. Postmarked in Monroeville, Indiana, November 1909. Pencil inscription with a personal note on the back, addressed to "Mr Charles Strait", and dated "Nov 8, 1909".
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- Goldwater Glasses Order Card
- Printed order form from HRB Suppliers for "Goldwater Glasses."
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- Grand National Democratic Banner
- Hand colored lithographic print with oval portraits of Presidential candidate James K. Polk and Vice-Presidential candidate George M. Dallas. A depiction of red swagged drapery edged in gold fringe frames the upper half of the print and surrounds the words "Polk the Young Hickory. Dallas and Victory". During his presidency James K. Polk was known as "Young Hickory", an allusion to his mentor Andrew Jackson. A row of stars is above the text. The American eagle holds the edges of two crossed and draped flags in its beak above and between the two oval portraits, while winding ribbon banners beneath the portraits identify the sitters as President and Vice-President. Across the bottom of the print are the words "Grand, National, Democratic Banner. Press Onward."
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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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