Government, Politics, and Reform

March on Washington Handbill

George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln are all represented in the Museum's collections—by a surveying compass, a lap desk, and a top hat, among other artifacts. But the roughly 100,000 objects in this collection reach beyond the possessions of statesmen to touch the broader political life of the nation—in election campaigns, the women's suffrage movement, labor activity, civil rights, and many other areas. Campaign objects make up much of the collection, including posters, novelties, ballots, voting machines, and many others. A second group includes general political history artifacts, such as first ladies' clothing and accessories, diplomatic materials, ceremonial objects, national symbols, and paintings and sculptures of political figures. The third main area focuses on artifacts related to political reform movements, from labor unions to antiwar groups.

Date: 1910s

Woman Suffrage Postcard

“Votes for Women,” was one of the most popular and recognizable slogans used by members of the woman’s suffrage movement.The National American Woman Suffrage Association began a postcard campaign in 1910, partly to raise awareness of the cause and partly as a fundraiser.
Description
“Votes for Women,” was one of the most popular and recognizable slogans used by members of the woman’s suffrage movement.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association began a postcard campaign in 1910, partly to raise awareness of the cause and partly as a fundraiser. The cards could be funny, serious, or sentimental. Some employed powerful patriotic symbols and logical arguments to make their case for woman’s right to vote. Cards like this one emphasized the femininity of suffragists.
associated date
1915
associated institution
National Woman Suffrage Publishing Company Incorporated
ID Number
1979.0939.16
accession number
1979.0939
catalog number
1979.0939.16

Chantilly Bobbin Lace Motif

One of a set of six identical curved stylized cone or paisley shaped black silk Chantilly bobbin lace appliqués or insertions. The attached paper tag states "131, 6 pieces, No 10/55, Chantilly, made by hand in Flanders for the C'on for Relief in Belgium, M. Kefer Mali".
Description
One of a set of six identical curved stylized cone or paisley shaped black silk Chantilly bobbin lace appliqués or insertions. The attached paper tag states "131, 6 pieces, No 10/55, Chantilly, made by hand in Flanders for the C'on for Relief in Belgium, M. Kefer Mali". Each piece is labeled "10/55, $.45 each". Madame Kefer-Mali was one of four women on the Lace Committee working with the Commission for Relief in Belgium. The lace was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1918
made during
1914-1918
Helped create Commission for Relief in Belgium
Hoover, Herbert
previous owner
Kefer-Mali, M.
maker
unknown
ID Number
2013.0121.42
accession number
2013.0121
catalog number
2013.0121.42

Woman Suffrage Paper Cup, 1915

This paper cup was made to support the unsuccessful 1915 Empire State Campaign for a referendum to add a suffrage amendment to the New York State constitution. Suffrage slogans and encouragements appeared on a variety of merchandise.Currently not on view
Description
This paper cup was made to support the unsuccessful 1915 Empire State Campaign for a referendum to add a suffrage amendment to the New York State constitution. Suffrage slogans and encouragements appeared on a variety of merchandise.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915
ID Number
1979.0735.18
accession number
1979.0735
catalog number
1979.0735.18

Woman Suffrage Postcard

This postcard promoting woman suffrage shows an American flag with four stars representing the four states which had full suffrage at the time of its printing: Wyoming (1869), Colorado (1893), Utah (1896) and Idaho (1896).The National American Woman Suffrage Association began a p
Description
This postcard promoting woman suffrage shows an American flag with four stars representing the four states which had full suffrage at the time of its printing: Wyoming (1869), Colorado (1893), Utah (1896) and Idaho (1896).
The National American Woman Suffrage Association began a postcard campaign in 1910, partly to raise awareness of the cause and partly as a fundraiser. The cards could be funny, serious, or sentimental. Some employed powerful patriotic symbols and logical arguments to make their case for woman’s right to vote.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1910
associated date
1890
1910
associated organization
National American Woman Suffrage Association
ID Number
1978.2120.01
accession number
1978.2120
catalog number
1978.2120.01

Ardoye Orphanage Tablecover

This round linen table cover contains the inscription “1915 ARDOYE - KLOOSTER DER H. KINDERSHEID VAN JESUS – WEESKINDEREN” (1915 Ardoye - Convent of the Holy Childhood of Jesus - Orphans) in the center.
Description
This round linen table cover contains the inscription “1915 ARDOYE - KLOOSTER DER H. KINDERSHEID VAN JESUS – WEESKINDEREN” (1915 Ardoye - Convent of the Holy Childhood of Jesus - Orphans) in the center. Ardoye (Ardooie) is in West Flanders, Belgium, in the area where the German army used poison gas for the first time on the western front in the second battle of Ypres in 1915.
The table cover is centered with bobbin lace. Bruges flower lace as well as tape lace and braided mesh techniques were utilized by the Belgian lace makers, who made this during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1915-1918
part of design
1915
facilitator
Hoover, Herbert
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E383962
catalog number
E383962
accession number
172208

American Eagle and Belgian Lion Table Scarf

Both ends of this table scarf are decorated with the seals of the United States and Belgium.
Description
Both ends of this table scarf are decorated with the seals of the United States and Belgium. A cornucopia spilling from the US shield to the Belgian shield symbolizes generosity from the American people toward the Belgian people.
The table scarf, with delicate handmade floral designs of Point de Gaze needle lace and mixed Brussels bobbin and needle lace, is appliquéd to machine made net. Belgian lace makers made this during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1919
facilitator
Hoover, Herbert
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E383968
catalog number
E383968
accession number
172208

Glass Hatchet, "Carrie Nation Wyer", 1913

By her own account, temperance reformer Carry A. Nation used rocks, a sledgehammer borrowed from a blacksmith, and a bar room billiard ball to destroy five Kansas saloons—before she took up a hatchet to destroy a Wichita, Kansas, saloon on December 27, 1900.
Description
By her own account, temperance reformer Carry A. Nation used rocks, a sledgehammer borrowed from a blacksmith, and a bar room billiard ball to destroy five Kansas saloons—before she took up a hatchet to destroy a Wichita, Kansas, saloon on December 27, 1900. Saloons were illegal under Kansas state law, but tolerated by officials. Explaining her choice of weapon, Nation recalled that the state’s “liquor interests” had nothing to fear from the usual temperance advocates, “but they were not prepared for a furious woman and a hatchet.” Her saloon smashings became known as “hatchetations”—a play on words coined by the publicity-savvy Nation.
Date made
1913
associated date
1913
ID Number
1979.0520.02
accession number
1979.0520
catalog number
1979.0520.02

Collar with Peace Doves

This collar has motifs of peace doves and floral vases executed in mixed Brussels bobbin and needle lace techniques with ground and fillings in point de Gaze style needle lace. The scalloped edge has picots.
Description
This collar has motifs of peace doves and floral vases executed in mixed Brussels bobbin and needle lace techniques with ground and fillings in point de Gaze style needle lace. The scalloped edge has picots. Identified by the donor as lace made by Belgian lace makers during World War I
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1918
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T14223
catalog number
T14223
accession number
273245

Woman Suffrage Postcard, 1913

Several different scenes of the 1913 suffrage parade and pageant in Washington, DC were available on postcards, a popular souvenir. The parade’s floats and marching sections represented women’s organizations and the progress of women’s rights.
Description
Several different scenes of the 1913 suffrage parade and pageant in Washington, DC were available on postcards, a popular souvenir. The parade’s floats and marching sections represented women’s organizations and the progress of women’s rights. The tableau on the steps of the U.S. Treasury building illustrated the ideals of Justice, Charity, Liberty, Peace, and Hope.
On the day before the 1913 presidential inauguration, more than 5,000 women marched up Pennsylvania Avenue demanding the right to vote. Women from around the country came to Washington in a show of strength and determination to obtain the ballot. More than 10,000 spectators crowded the parade route. Some were simply boisterous but others were hostile. They spilled past the barriers and off the sidewalks, clogging Pennsylvania Avenue. Police officers were unable or unwilling to hold back the crowds and after the first four blocks the parade stalled as the marchers couldn’t pass through the mob. A cavalry unit from Fort Myer was finally called in to restore order and the parade finished hours late. The public was horrified, and a one-day event became an ongoing story, with demands for an investigation of the police department’s failure to protect the women.
Location
Currently not on view
associated dates
1913
associated institution
National Woman's Party
associated person
Paul, Alice
ID Number
1991.3016.075
catalog number
1991.3016.075
nonaccession number
1991.3016

Monogrammed Tablecloth

The center of this fine linen tablecloth is decorated with three small monograms "EW" and scroll designs. EW most likely stands for Ella Whitlock, the wife of the American Envoy to Belgium. Mrs.
Description
The center of this fine linen tablecloth is decorated with three small monograms "EW" and scroll designs. EW most likely stands for Ella Whitlock, the wife of the American Envoy to Belgium. Mrs. Brand Whitlock worked tirelessly on behalf of the Belgian lace makers during World War I.
The eight and one-half inch wide border on the tablecloth is executed in Point de Paris bobbin lace with symmetrical floral designs of roses and edelweiss, the favorite flowers of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Belgian lace makers made this tablecloth during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1919
described
Whitlock, Ella Brainerd
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E383964
catalog number
E383964
accession number
172208

Pin, Theodore Roosevelt, 1912

Theodore Roosevelt had already served as a Republican governor, vice president, and president before he formed the Progressive Party in 1912 and ran one more time for president in what would be his last national campaign.
Description
Theodore Roosevelt had already served as a Republican governor, vice president, and president before he formed the Progressive Party in 1912 and ran one more time for president in what would be his last national campaign. This moose pin is a symbol of that party.
Governor Theodore Roosevelt of New York was widely expected to get the job when President William McKinley needed a new running mate for his re-election campaign in 1900. (His first vice president, Garret Hobart, had died in office.) Initially unsure he wanted the position, Roosevelt was convinced by his political friends that the vice presidency was his avenue to the White House. No one could have anticipated how quickly that would come to pass. Just six months into his term, President William McKinley was assassinated and Vice President Theodore Roosevelt ascended to the presidency in 1901, a job he would hold until 1909. Two terms, however, would prove insufficient for Roosevelt’s political ambitions.
The moose became the symbol of the Progressive Party because of its long connection with Roosevelt. After he received the vice-presidential nomination in 1900, Roosevelt wrote a letter to Mark Hanna, Chair of the Republican National Committee describing himself as “strong as a bull moose” and said the party “could use me to the limit.” The label stuck although the party affiliation did not. Although Roosevelt had pledged not to seek a third term as president in 1908, he became disillusioned with his handpicked successor, President William Howard Taft, and tried to seize the 1912 Republican nomination from the incumbent. When his efforts failed, Roosevelt took his ambition and his nickname to his new party. Asked if he was healthy enough to run for office as an independent, he responded that he was “fit as a bull moose” causing his new party to become popularly known as the “Bull Moose” Party. Images of a moose appeared on numerous campaign items and Roosevelt made use of the metaphor in his campaign speeches. His most memorable “Bull Moose” reference was an impromptu one. On October 14, 1912, Roosevelt was shot at a campaign appearance in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With blood visible on his vest, the candidate gave his scheduled speech adding a new introduction: “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot—but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.”
Roosevelt lost the 1912 election to Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson but the Progressive (Bull Moose) Party stunned the Republican establishment by finishing second with over 27% of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes from six states. President Taft who received 23% of the popular vote became the only sitting president to finish third in a re-election bid. Socialist Eugene V. Debs, running for the fourth time, finished fourth with 6% of the vote.
date made
1912
ID Number
2015.0200.169
accession number
2015.0200
catalog number
2015.0200

Tag for World War I Belgian Lace

This paper tag is labeled "N° 13/0436 Point Alençon Louis XVI made by hand in... for the C'on for Relief in Belgium" On the reverse is a red wax seal embossed with “Commission for Relief in Belgium, Dentelle Belge” and an image of the Belgian Lion.
Description
This paper tag is labeled "N° 13/0436 Point Alençon Louis XVI made by hand in... for the C'on for Relief in Belgium" On the reverse is a red wax seal embossed with “Commission for Relief in Belgium, Dentelle Belge” and an image of the Belgian Lion. A black, yellow, and orange cord is sealed into the wax, and “$24.00” is lightly penciled in on the card. The tag came to the museum without the lace attached.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1919
facilitator
Hoover, Herbert
maker
unknown
ID Number
2013.0121.21
accession number
2013.0121
catalog number
2013.0121.21

Frightful Figuring for "Old Figgers"

This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn by Clifford Berryman on white paper circa 1912 in Washington, D.C. The title, possibly not finalized, reads "Frightful Figuring for Old Figgers" and is inscribed as well as crossed out in pencil.
Description
This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn by Clifford Berryman on white paper circa 1912 in Washington, D.C. The title, possibly not finalized, reads "Frightful Figuring for Old Figgers" and is inscribed as well as crossed out in pencil. The drawing depicts Charles Henry Grosvenor (Republican Congressman from Ohio) busily tallying numeric scores for William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Robert M. La Follette (Sr.) of Wisconsin, and Albert B. Cummins of Iowa. He says to himself: "Figgerin' isn't what it used to be!" Various numbers appear in the background. He is surrounded by books he may have authored (real or perhaps imaginary for the purpose of this illustration) with titles such as "Grosvenor on Election Statistics," Grosvenor's Political Mathematics," and "Old Figgers or How I Calculate." Berryman's number 2235[5?] is stamped twice in blue ink in the lower right corner. The drawing is signed "Berryman" in the lower right area of the illustration.
Grosvenor had a lengthy and varied career in American politics. He worked as the statistician for the Republican Party because of his interest in numeric political calculations and became nicknamed "Old Figgers." He supported Taft but his arithmetic showed Roosevelt was in the lead - hence, the title "Frightful Figuring for 'Old Figgers.'"
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1912
referenced
Taft, William H.
La Follette, Robert M.
Roosevelt, Theodore
associated
Republican Party
maker
Berryman, Clifford
ID Number
PL.322733.010
catalog number
322733.010
accession number
322733

Alice Paul’s "Jailed for Freedom" Pin

In January 1917, discouraged by President Wilson’s continued opposition to the suffrage amendment, Alice Paul, the leader of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) posted pickets at the White House gates—the first people to ever picket the White House.
Description
In January 1917, discouraged by President Wilson’s continued opposition to the suffrage amendment, Alice Paul, the leader of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) posted pickets at the White House gates—the first people to ever picket the White House. These "silent sentinels" stayed on duty in all weather and in the face of threats, taunts, and physical violence. Using their banners and their quiet courage they asked, "Mr. President How Long Must Women Wait for their Liberty?" and "Mr. President What Will you do for Woman Suffrage?" Hoping to provoke a response, the language on the banners became more inflammatory. They used the president’s own words against him and pointed out the hypocrisy of his leading the country into the First World War to defend freedom while denying it to the women of his own country. Crowds who believed the pickets’ activities were disloyal in a time of war attacked the suffragists and destroyed their banners. In July the police began arresting the pickets for "obstruction of traffic." When they refused to pay fines they were imprisoned. When they went on hunger strikes to demand the rights of political prisoners they were forcibly fed—a painful and invasive procedure. The pickets continued despite the risk. Paul had endured such treatment while she was in England. Although she knew what lay ahead and that she, as the organizer of the picketing, would receive a harsher sentence, she insisted on taking her place on the picket line. She was arrested in October. While in jail she was forcibly fed and threatened with commitment to an insane asylum. Reports of the long sentences, abuse, and the courage of the suffragists became public and all prisoners were released in November.
In a December ceremony the imprisoned suffragists were awarded with small silver pins in the shape of prison doors with heart-shaped locks. The "jailed for freedom" pins were designed by Nina Allender. This pin was awarded to Alice Paul.
The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution enfranchising women was ratified in August 1920.
date made
1917
presented by
National Woman's Party
recipient
Paul, Alice
ID Number
1987.0165.025
catalog number
1987.0165.025
accession number
1987.0165

Renomination Surf

This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper by Clifford Berryman circa 1912 in Washington, D.C. It depicts the face in the clouds of William Howard Taft smiling down upon Secretary of the Interior James R.
Description
This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper by Clifford Berryman circa 1912 in Washington, D.C. It depicts the face in the clouds of William Howard Taft smiling down upon Secretary of the Interior James R. Garfield and Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot, who are wading into waves labeled "Renomination Surf." Each is wearing a floatation pillow labelled "Taft 1912." There are two Berryman numbers, 12343 and 12344, stamped in blue ink in the lower right corner. The drawing is signed "Berryman" in the lower right area of the illustration.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1912
depicted date
1912
associated person
Taft, William H.
Garfield
maker
Berryman, Clifford
ID Number
PL.322733.008
catalog number
322733.008
accession number
322733

The Suffragist, June 23, 1917

The Suffragist was created in 1913 by Alice Paul and the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (later the National Woman’s Party) to spread women’s political news and garner public support for a suffrage amendment.
Description
The Suffragist was created in 1913 by Alice Paul and the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage (later the National Woman’s Party) to spread women’s political news and garner public support for a suffrage amendment. In addition to a wealth of informative articles, the newspaper featured large political cartoons drawn by Nina Allender that gave visual impact to the paper’s message. After the passage of the 19th amendment in 1919 The Suffragist ceased publication.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917
associated institution
National Woman's Party
associated person
Paul, Alice
publisher
Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage
ID Number
1991.3016.585
catalog number
1991.3016.585
nonaccession number
1991.3016

political cartoon

The object is a political cartoon hand-drawn in ink on white paper by Clifford Berryman in Washington, D.C.
Description
The object is a political cartoon hand-drawn in ink on white paper by Clifford Berryman in Washington, D.C. It depicts a seated and beleagured bear named "Russia" leaning against a leafless, bare tree with a sign "Posted- Lenin" signifying ownership of the surrounding land with other leafless, bare trees. A bone is on the ground near the bear, who appears too tired to reach the bone, and the bear is saying "Everyone warned me against this Soviet wilderness." Berryman signed the drawing in the lower right area of the illustration.
This work appears to be a commentary on the political transition from Russia to Soviet Russia which occurred in 1917 with Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin as the founding head.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
circa 1917
Associated Date
circa 1917
associated person
Lenin, Vladimir Ilyich
maker
Berryman, Clifford
ID Number
PL.322733.042
catalog number
322733.042
accession number
322733

Province of Luxembourg Motif

This lion-and-crown motif was designed to represent the coat-of-arms of the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The Mechlin bobbin lace medallion was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I, and was likely intended to be inserted into a larger item.
Description
This lion-and-crown motif was designed to represent the coat-of-arms of the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The Mechlin bobbin lace medallion was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I, and was likely intended to be inserted into a larger item. See a similar motif in TE*E383965.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1918
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16115H
catalog number
T16115H
accession number
297965

Fan Leaf with Weaponry and Designer's Name

This fan leaf was designed for the Belgian Lace Committee by Belgian painter Charles Michel. His name is worked in needle lace into the ground (reseau) along the inner edge.
Description
This fan leaf was designed for the Belgian Lace Committee by Belgian painter Charles Michel. His name is worked in needle lace into the ground (reseau) along the inner edge. The central motif of helmet, swords and weaponry is flanked on either side by the war years 1914 and 1915. The rising sun, laurel leaves and other floral motifs are also included. Brussels bobbin lace was mainly used for the motifs and connected with Point de Gaze type needle lace. Belgian lace makers made this fan leaf during World War I. It has never been mounted to fan sticks.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1915-1916
part of design
1914
1915
maker
unknown
designer
Michel, Charles
ID Number
TE.T14505
catalog number
T14505
accession number
273245

Woman Suffrage Banner, 1914-1917

Suffragists from the National Woman’s Party made smaller versions of the banner used on the 1913 parade’s first float. These "Great Demand" banners were used in demonstrations and rallies and at suffrage headquarters. Marie Gilmer Louthan carried this one in suffrage parades
Description
Suffragists from the National Woman’s Party made smaller versions of the banner used on the 1913 parade’s first float. These "Great Demand" banners were used in demonstrations and rallies and at suffrage headquarters. Marie Gilmer Louthan carried this one in suffrage parades
date made
1914-1917
user
National Woman's Party
maker
National Woman's Party
ID Number
2009.0207.01
catalog number
2009.0207.01
accession number
2009.0207

LaFollette Is The Real Thing

This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper by Clifford Berryman circa 1908-1912 in Washington, D.C. It depicts Robert M.
Description
This object is an original pen and ink political cartoon hand drawn on white paper by Clifford Berryman circa 1908-1912 in Washington, D.C. It depicts Robert M. LaFollette wearing a badge with a button reading "OK Supreme Court" above a prominent ribbon that reads "LaFollette is the real thing!" There are three beleaguered men slumped to the floor, one of whom appears to be William Howard Taft. It is stamped in blue ink with Berryman's number 30915 in the upper right corner and is signed "Berryman" in the lower right area of the illustration.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1908-1912
ca 1912
depicted (sitter)
La Follette, Robert M.
maker
Berryman, Clifford
ID Number
PL.322733.012
catalog number
322733.012
accession number
322733

Isidore de Rudder Designed Pillow Top

This pillow top was designed by the Belgian sculptor Isidore de Rudder (1855-1943).
Description
This pillow top was designed by the Belgian sculptor Isidore de Rudder (1855-1943). The design of starfish, crabs, and eels in seaweed with the central inscription “1914 Yzer 1915” commemorates a famous battle at the Yzer River, where Belgian engineers prevented the German troops from advancing by manipulating the locks on the Yzer River to flood the surrounding fields.
This pillow top in point de Venise style needle lace was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I. The pattern is preserved in the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1915-1918
part of design
1915
1914
facilitator
Hoover, Herbert
designer
de Rudder, Isidore
ID Number
TE.E383966
catalog number
E383966
accession number
172208

photograph

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
associated date
1918
ID Number
1979.0015.04
accession number
1979.0015
catalog number
1979.0015.04

French Rooster Motif

This example of Mechlin bobbin lace depicts a whimsical variant of the Gallic rooster, symbol of France. The motif was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I and was likely intended to be inserted into a larger item.Currently not on view
Description
This example of Mechlin bobbin lace depicts a whimsical variant of the Gallic rooster, symbol of France. The motif was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I and was likely intended to be inserted into a larger item.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1918
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16115F
catalog number
T16115F
accession number
297965

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