Magnifying Glass, 2000
Magnifying Glass, 2000
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- Description
- The presidential contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore came down to Florida in November 2000. A confusing ballot design and incomplete punch marks hampered the recount effort, which ground into late November until halted by the Supreme Court.
- In Broward County, teams of counters examined each ballot, forwarding cards in need of interpretation to Judge Robert A. Rosenberg. A famous photograph shows Rosenberg peering through a magnifying glass at a ballot and the “chads” (paper fragments) dangling from incomplete punch marks. This is one of two magnifying glasses that Rosenberg used and kept as souvenirs of the recount, together with a bag of “authentic chads.”
- Gift of Robert A. Rosenberg, 2001–2004
- Object Name
- magnifying glass
- date made
- 2000
- Physical Description
- black (overall color)
- glass (overall material)
- colorless (overall color)
- plastic (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 9 in x 4 1/2 in; 22.86 cm x 11.43 cm
- ID Number
- 2001.0092.03
- accession number
- 2001.0092
- catalog number
- 2001.0092.03
- Credit Line
- Robert A. Rosenberg
- subject
- Elections
- Presidential Campaign of 2000
- See more items in
- Political and Military History: Political History, Campaign Collection
- Souvenir Nation
- 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
Nominate this object for photography.
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