What I collect

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.