M-322：艾伦·B.博士和海伦·s·Shopmaker美国政治文集
《艾伦·B.博士和海伦·s·普梅克美国政治文集》展示了竞选和选举美国总统的复杂性。 With over three thousand items, the collection reflects American society’s changing tastes and attitudes towards presidential candidates. Featuring a range of items including ribbons, buttons, bumper-stickers, ceramics, and ephemera, this material culture collection complements the Mercantile Library’s growing collection of documents about our nation’s political history. The Shopmaker campaign memorabilia expands the Mercantile Library’s existing research opportunities for our university, community, and national audiences. We are grateful to Helen Shopmaker for the generous gift of this collection and the endowment that enables us to make it available in the ongoing gallery exhibitions and online through the 皇冠博彩数字图书馆.
展览:
Shopmaker画廊以不断变化的重点展览为特色，探索收藏品的各个方面。 Past exhibitions have included “Whistle Stops: Campaigning by Train”, “Presidents and War”, and “100 Million Buttons Can’t Be Wrong.” Shopmaker政治版画画廊通过不断变化的主题展览，探索政治在美国版画文化中的多种反映方式。 The inaugural exhibition was a comprehensive installation of all available prints by Missouri’s noted artist and politician, George Caleb Bingham, followed by an installation of political cartoons and the current series of presidential portrait exhibitions. Check the Mercantile Library website 展览 page for information on the current exhibitions.
藏品亮点：
竞选按钮— The earliest forms of buttons included brass clothing buttons and paper tabs. 现代的针扣后来流行起来，大小、形状和复杂程度各不相同。 The collection includes rare and unique buttons such as the “gold bug” with moveable wings featuring photographic portraits of the candidates supporting the gold standard. Modern and contemporary buttons include flashers – holographic images that alternate when the button is moved – and one candidate’s button issued in Braille.
大宗商品—Manufacturing companies have long been aware of the ability to sell products by including an image, or even the name, of the president or a candidate. 该系列中较早的一些物品包括扑克牌、玻璃和陶瓷盘子、勺子和直剃须刀。 到20世纪中期，雪茄、火柴盒和汽水瓶都与总统有关，而现代的收藏品包括卡布奇诺罐、肥皂，当然还有t恤。
肖像— Images of the presidential candidates are found on a broad range of campaign memorabilia, from buttons to posters to handkerchiefs. 竞选肖像反映了候选人希望被人看到的样子，照片中姿势、着装和情绪的变化揭示了美国人对候选人的看法。 该系列包括许多jugates的例子，传统形式的总统和副总统候选人的成对肖像并排出现，以及各种媒体上的许多其他传统和创新肖像。
政治漫画—Often employing caricature and allusion, political cartoons show both support and discontent with presidents and potential candidates. Examples of political cartoons in the collection date from the early 19th century through the modern day and include works by well-known national and local artists including Thomas Nast, Joseph Keppler, and Daniel Fitzpatrick.
乐谱—Political songs became a popular mode of campaigning, especially in the 1900s. 乐谱的封面通常是候选人的肖像，而歌词则概述了他的许多特质，或者只是敦促听众出去投票。 The collection features examples from the 19th and 20th centuries.
纺织品—Some of the oldest campaign memorabilia in the United States are ribbons. 就像现代的保险杠贴纸一样，19世纪的支持者们也会佩戴丝带来展示他们的政治偏好。 除了丝带，竞选团队还使用围巾、帽子和手帕等功能性纺织品来赞扬候选人的优点。 The collection includes rare early 19th century ribbons and silk campaign sash, handkerchiefs, bandanas, scarves and neckties.
投票设备和蜉蝣 – At the heart of any election is the act of voting. 该藏品的特点是与投票过程相关的物品种类越来越多，包括1824年总统选举圣路易斯县选举候选人的手写分类帐，以及2000年佛罗里达州的投票站。
研究机会:
Political history is represented in many areas of the Mercantile Library’s deep regional and national collections from presidential letters to the photo and clipping archive of the 圣路易斯环球报-民主党人. See the 研究美国政治史的机会 (2 Pages, 1 MB, PDF) brochure or submit a 研究要求 for further assistance. Those wishing to learn more about the political items may view selections from the Collection on the 皇冠博彩数字图书馆, or contact the curator, Nick Fry, by email at fryn@umsl.edu or by phone at 314-516-7253. 图书馆欢迎市民捐赠与本馆有关的资料。 希望捐款的人应联系策展人开始审查程序。
