Match Safe, Theodore Roosevelt, 1904

Description:

Representations of Theodore Roosevelt with bears began after he famously refused to shoot a restrained bear on a 1902 hunting trip to Mississippi. This pocket match safe, sold during his 1904 presidential campaign, features multiple bears including one with glasses who looks much like the Republican candidate. Metal match safes, popular between 1870 and 1930, allowed smokers to carry friction matches without fear they would rub together and burst into flame in their pockets.

Roosevelt was running as an incumbent in 1904 having ascended to the presidency after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. He won a full term in his own right by defeating his Democratic challenger Alton Parker and Eugene V. Debs, a Socialist.

Date Made: 1904

Associated Person: Roosevelt, Theodore

General Subject Association: Political Campaigns

Subject:

See more items in: Political and Military History: Political History, Campaign Collection, Government, Politics, and Reform, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith

Exhibition: American Democracy

Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: PL.319892.02Catalog Number: 319892.02Accession Number: 319892

Object Name: Match Safe

Physical Description: metal (overall material)Measurements: overall: 1 3/4 in x 2 3/4 in x 1/2 in; 4.445 cm x 6.985 cm x 1.27 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a2-f5af-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_498776

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.