Relics of the American West: 1850-1920
Lot 2244:
Description
This fascinating six-piece collection of 19th-century paper ephemera features a “Grand Concert” program for Mademoiselle Jenny Lind, a 1885 Dr. O. Phelps Brown’s Shakespearian Almanac (printed for Geo. K. Hopkins & Co. Wholesale Druggists, St. Louis, MO), a playbill from the Olympic Theatre for Fanny Davenport in “Cleopatra” (referencing the Globe clothing store at 703-713 Franklin Avenue), a small photographic carte de visite (CDV) portrait of President Abraham Lincoln reading with his son, and two nineteenth-century political campaign “National Ticket” ballots (one featuring Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler for the 1876 presidential election). The two ballots in the collection represent different regional levels of the election ticket, allowing us to see how the political parties organized their slates from national leaders down to local town administrators. The Hayes & Wheeler National Ballot: This ticket prominently features Rutherford B. Hayes for President and William A. Wheeler for Vice President. It lists the statewide electors at the top, followed by the State Ticket (including candidates for Governor and State Treasurer), the County Ticket, and finally the local Township Ticket at the bottom featuring Charles James for Constable. The Democratic / Local Ballot: The second ticket is topped by Thomas S. Cunningham, who was a politician from Beaver County, Pennsylvania. This ballot focuses heavily on the local County Ticket and Township Ticket candidates, showing the localized strategy parties used to drive straight-ticket voting. These items offer a wonderful glimpse into American social, theatrical, and political history during the late Victorian era. The pieces exhibit age-appropriate wear, including minor staining, folds, toning, and small tears along the edges consistent with handling and archival storage over the last century. Program: H 9.25″, W 5.75″. Almanac: H 7″, W 4.75″. Playbill: H 13.25″, W 5.25″. Ballots range from H 11.5″ to 12.5″, W 3.25″ to 3.75″. Please see photos for condition.
Share this lot:
