Mid-20th Century US Political Ephemera
Scope and Contents
This collection contains political ephemera from a wide variety of publishers. Some of the earliest material is produced by the American government in order to sell war bonds, encourage tax filing, and, later, to recruit soldiers to the Vietnam war. The collection also contains a map distributed by the United Nations tracking their activities in 1949. There are multiple political cartoons: one is conservative and anti-communist, while several others attributed to Shoemaker and distributed by Appreciate America, Inc. are more liberal and encourage mutual respect and racial tolerance. Several of the papers are distributed in part as advertisements: the “Patriotic Panorama” map is by Albert Richard, a sportswear company, and the “1960 Presidential Election Folder” was created by the shoe brand Keds. While some of the material is partisan, such as the Kennedy and Humphrey/Muskie campaign posters, several of the posters are more general. The Keds election folder explains the electoral college system and provides a grid for tracking electoral votes. There is a poster specifically for educational purposes that shows past presidents of the United States and their parties, as well as explaining the inner workings of presidential campaigns.
Dates
- Creation: 1940s to 1960s
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research use
Use Restrictions
Standard Federal Copyright Law Applies (U.S. Title 17)
Historical note
The earliest material in this collection celebrates the inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was elected during the Great Depression and served as President until his death in April 1945. He guided the United States through World War II, which lasted from 1939 until December of 1945. The United Nations was also founded during that year. Several pieces of this collection are wartime propaganda from the Cold War (1947-1991) and the Vietnam War (1955-1975). These wars dominated the American consciousness and were central issues in Presidential elections. Election material from 1960 (Kennedy), 1968 (Muskie) and 1980 (Carter) touch on these issues. Many of these materials were printed in Washington D.C., New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
Extent
.25 linear ft. (1 box, 1 ovs folder)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Ephemeral materials related to politics from the mid-20th century in the United States.
Arrangement
Arranged by category
Acquisition
Gift of Robert Galford, 2019
Processing Information
Processed by Calla Kra-Caskey and Keyla Benitez, completed September 2023
- Title
- Mid-20th Century US Political Ephemera
- Author
- Calla Kra-Caskey and Keyla Benitez
- Date
- September, 2023
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Haverford College Quaker & Special Collections Library