For my fifth post on heirlooms, I would like to tell you about a 1952 Eisenhower campaign button.
But first, a bit of history:
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| 1789 George Washington Inaugural Button |
Campaign buttons, also called inaugural buttons, have been in use since the beginning of our nation. Although George Washington was the first to use them, they weren't mass produced until William McKinley's campaigns in 1897.
The original version was made of brass or other metals and lithographed with "Long Live the President" and the contestant's initials. But this was eventually replaced with a photographic button, Abraham Lincoln being the first to do so. Then in 1897 with the McKinley/Bryan election, the first "celluloid" buttons were used. These comprised a metal disc and pin at the back, a piece of paper printed with a message or photo, and a clear plastic covering. These became the most popular and are sometimes still used today!
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| 1952 Eisenhower Campaign Button |
This "I Like Ike" button belonged to my maternal grandmother, Carol Lee Blair (nee Clark). She wore it in 1952 when working for the Eisenhower campaign through the Young Republicans club. While she worked for the Bakersfield, CA, branch of the club, she made calls urging people in the area to vote Republican. The Young Republicans were active since the 1850s but not nationally recognized until much later. At the urging of Herbert Hoover, George M. Olmsted officially founded the Young Republican National Federation, called Young Republicans for short.
Approximately 3/4 inch in diameter, the button was made by Allied Printing & Trades Council, which is known for producing campaign buttons as early as 1897.
Although it may be worn with age and deemed "worthless" because its original purpose is now over, I will always treasure it as a piece of family history, as well as American history.
Love,
Ava Katherine<3
