Monthly Archives: June 2013

Although watch fobs are no longer a standard article of men's jewelry, there was a time when a pocket watch adorned with a gold or silver chain or leather strap not only gave a feeling of importance to its wearer, but could also indicate his loyalties, perhaps the fraternal organization he belonged to, his occupation, or his political preferences.

The practical use of a watch fob or chain was simply to help the wearer locate and retrieve their timepiece, but also served as a decorative or informative accessory.

For our purposes, the standard political campaign watch fob – those which feature medallions, die-cut metal, or celluloid suspended from a leather strap – had its beginnings in the 1904 Roosevelt vs. Parker campaign and saw its heyday in the 1904-1912 campaigns. Fobs were still prevalent through the 1928 campaign, but by the 1930's, had virtually become a thing of the past.

As is true with most political items, the celluloid fobs are typically pricier than the metallic varieties, and the later fobs – especially varieties from the 1916-1924 campaigns – tend to be better. Probably the rarest presidential campaign watch fobs are those celluloid jugate varieties issued for Theodore Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson from the 1912 Progressive Party campaign and can be valued in the thousands.

Take a look at this week's listings featuring a variety of watch fobs priced from the low $20.

In conjunction with today's new listings, featuring a selection of political neck wear, and the recent occurrence of Father's Day, we present a short history of the evolution of the American political necktie.

Interestingly, the first known American political neckties, which featured jugate images of Harrison and Morton, were made as a "clip on" style, in both a bow tie and standard neck tie variety. I had always assumed that the clip on tie was a recent invention (I used to wear the heck out of them as a kid going to Sunday school in the 80's) but it looks like I might not have been that much of a trendsetter.

The clip-on variety of political necktie continued on into the early 20th Century with these ties featuring printed portraits of TR and Taft on silk. These snazzy specimens of political neck wear feature a button clasp on the back to clip onto the top button of a shirt.

This tie, made for the 1928 Hoover campaign, features bolder colors than the earlier examples, and an embroidered owl to highlight its whimsical "Hoo? Hoo? Hoover" slogan.

The coming years saw some bold advances in the world of the political necktie, as the campaigns of FDR, Willkie, and Landon brought forth innovations in materials and production techniques, including multicolor screen printing and the weaving of Willkie's initials and name into the very fabric of the ties.

The Eisenhower campaign featured seemingly endless varieties of color, pattern, and construction.

The Goldwater campaign of 1964 featured this tie, which, fittingly, was extremely conservative in both width and color.

We hope you enjoyed this brief overview of political neck wear, and this week's new listings.

As a full time dealer in Americana, people often ask me if I am a collector myself. The answer is an emphatic YES. I have found that the same is true for nearly all the dealers who specialize in political and general Americana.

The passion I have for this hobby goes well beyond simply buying and selling. Picking up that special item for my collection – adding that piece that's been on my “wish list” forever – is always a thrill.

My personal collecting interests include items connected with the Lincoln assassination, 19^th century Inauguration invitations and tickets, Democratic and Republican National Convention tickets, pinbacks and ephemera related to Carry Nation and the Prohibition movement, and Uncle Sam.

Items connected with this country's history in the spring of 1865 hold a special fascination for me. Within a turbulent four-month period from early March to early July of 1865, the country witnessed Lincoln's second Inauguration, the end of a bloody civil war, and the assassination of a president at the hands of a conspiracy to cripple the US government, followed by the capture, trial, and hanging of the conspirators. Due to the actions of John Willkes Booth, the feeling of jubilation that had swept over the Union with the impending end of the war quickly turned to despair.

Although generally pricy, there's no lack of material from this period in history. Some of my favorites pieces include a ticket to Ford's Theater from the fateful evening of April 15th, a variety of Lincoln memorial ribbons and paper items, a ticket to the conspirators' trial, various carte de visites of the conspirators, Civil War patriotic ribbons supporting the Union cause, an invitation to the 1865 Inauguration – and the centerpiece, the iconic reward poster with photos of Booth, Surrat and Herold.

In my collection of 19^th century Inauguration invitations and tickets, I am reminded of the relatively peaceful transition of presidential power and the continuation of democratic ideals. It can be an especially challenging task to locate anything from the Inaugurations preceding William Henry Harrison (and I'm always looking to add any pre-1841 tickets or invitations to my collection).

Collecting Democratic and Republican National Convention tickets holds a special interest for me, having attended six such conventions myself. The national political conventions represent the epitome of presidential campaigns and the unique hoopla of our quadrennial American obsession. Most tickets from 1868 to 2012 are readily available (with the exception of tickets for both parties from 1872), but pre-1868 convention tickets are extremely difficult to obtain.

I've always had a special interest in items related to the Prohibition movement, starting with Carry Nation and ending with the repeal of the 18^th amendment. Items from this era of history illustrate the story of how a relatively small group of people with good intentions successfully convinced a nation to enact well-intentioned but misguided legislation. Carry Nation represents one of the most colorful characters among a long list of American nutcases, and putting together a collection of hatchets, pinbacks and paper items celebrating and disparaging Nation's crusade has been enjoyable. My favorite items from the Prohibition movement are undoubtedly those “Vote Dry For My Sake” pinbacks and paper items intended to save America's youth from the “ravages” of alcohol.

Love him or hate him, Uncle Sam memorabilia is almost unlimited in scope. As such, I try to confine my collection to items from World War I and earlier, and buy those pinbacks, posters, 3D peices, and advertising items which feature Uncle Sam that provide an appropriate complimentary display to my political/historical collections.

I suppose that in no small part, my personal passion for collecting Americana is why I've made it my profession. As a collector myself, I find it extremely gratifying to help the items representing America's past find homes where they will be cherished and preserved. When I'm able to facilitate fellow collectors finding the item that has eluded them for years, I'm reminded of how much joy this hobby brings us all.