Historical Background
Postcards were popular during the early years of the twentieth century from 1900 - 1912. Many were humorous. Some poked fun at the opposing party. Others carried slogans. One of the more novel campaign postcards was the mechanical which featured movement. You could pull a tail on a donkey or elephant and the picture of the candidate would appear.
It was also interesting to see how the political symbols were used. The elephant represented the Republican, the donkey the Democratic, and the moose, the Progressive (Bull Moose) parties.
William Howard Taft was known as Billy Possum. This created a series of postcards with possums. Theodore Roosevelt was associated with the bear which gave us the "teddy bear."
The postcards featured in this exhibit are courtesy of the Macy Hallock collection.
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| Taft Republican 1908 | Bryan Democrat 1908 | Taft 1908 |
|---|---|---|
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| Taft vs. Bryan 1908 | Taft Republican 1908 | Satirical GOP |
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| Taft Republican1912 | Wilson Democrat 1912 | Roosevelt Bull Moose1912 |
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| Taft vs. Bryan 1908 | Wilson Democrat 1912 | Taft Republican 1912 |
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| Taft Republican1908/1912 | Taft Republican 1912 | Pro Taft 1908 |
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| Roosevelt 1912 | Taft Popularized Golf | Anti-Republican 1908 |
