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  JUGATE PORTRAIT POLITICAL KERCHIEF FROM THE 1904 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT & CHARLES WARREN FAIRBANKS WITH "THE RIGHT MEN IN THE RIGHT PLACE" SLOGAN

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 27.5" x 28"
Flag Size (H x L): 16.75" x 17.25"
Description....:
JUGATE PORTRAIT POLITICAL KERCHIEF FROM THE 1904 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT & CHARLES WARREN FAIRBANKS WITH "THE RIGHT MEN IN THE RIGHT PLACE" SLOGAN:

Political bandanna, printed on cotton, used in the 1904 presidential campaign of Theodore Roosevelt, when he ran with Charles Warren Fairbanks. Portraits of both men appear in a partial wreath of laurel leaves, tied at the bottom with a bow. The slogan: "The Right Men in the Right Place" appears above the image. Above and below each man, respectively, is "For President; Theodore Roosevelt of New York" and "For Vice President; Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana".

The date 1904 appears above the bow, on which is text that represents the platform of the Republican ticket: "Protection, Prosperity, Expansion, and Sound Money". All but the word "expansion" were nothing new to campaign kerchiefs, flags, and propaganda, echoing from the past several campaigns.

An attractive, light blue and black, geometric border that resembles the kind of simple imagery found on men's shirting, surrounds the center medallion. It is interesting to note that other examples of this kerchief are known, but none of them, so far as I am aware, have the same design around the perimeter. Several varieties exist with different patterns and colors around the border.

Five examples of kerchiefs with this same jugate portrait, center medallion image are documented in "Threads of History: Americana Recorded on Cloth, 1775 to the Present", by Herbert Ridgeway Collins, Smithsonian Press, 1979, as items 864-868 on pgs. 346-347. None is identical to this one. Collins formerly served as Curator of Political History at the Smithsonian Institution and his text serves as the "Bible" of American political textiles.

Some facts about the Candidates and the 1904 Election:

Charles Fairbanks was, in some ways, as different from Roosevelt as one could possibly get. Reserved, soft-spoken, and a hard-line conservative, the Ohio-born Illinois senator was nicknamed the "Indiana Icicle". Born in a Log Cabin, Fairbanks would rise to become an attorney and eventually a railroad financier, serving as a chief counsel for mogul Jay Gould. He was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in 1896.

Fairbanks was as good a balance as any, geographically, politically, and personally, to the progressive and outspoken, Rough-Rider from New York. Roosevelt appealed to members of both political parties, Fairbanks leveled out the ticket for hard-line, right-wing Republicans, and also solidified support in the growing and politically-important mid west. Only the firmly Democratic south voted firmly in opposition.

Democrat opponent, Alton B. Parker, was born in Cortland, New York. He was an attorney who practiced law in Kingston, New York before serving as a justice of the Supreme Court of New York from 1885 to 1889, then as Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals from 1898 to 1904. In 1900 he ran for vice president under William Jennings Bryan, who lost to the William McKinley and Roosevelt ticket.

Parker's running mate, Henry G. Davis, became a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865, just after its separation from Virginia (in 1864). He became a state senator in 1869 and in 1871 was elected to the United States Senate, serving two terms, with his service ending in 1883. At age 80, Davis was (and is) the oldest person to be nominated for President or Vice President on a major party ticket.

Parker was a conservative among his party members and his nomination of Davis would help carry the Southern vote, but the two men were no match for the supreme popularity of Roosevelt.

Roosevelt beat Parker, by 56.4% vs. 37.6% in the popular vote, and by 336 vs. 140 in the Electoral College.

Mounting: The kerchief has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton, black in color. The black fabric was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. The mounts were then placed black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian moldings. Spacers keep the textiles away from the glass, which is U.V. protective.

Condition: There is minor soiling and minor fading.
Collector Level: Beginners and Holiday Gift Giving
Flag Type:
Star Count:
Earliest Date of Origin: 1904
Latest Date of Origin: 1904
State/Affiliation: New York
War Association:
Price: SOLD
 

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