Tiny Electoral Art, 1920

JF Ptak Science Books   Quick Post

I admit to a weakness for early 20th century American political found art in barely-existent pamphlets.  And so this fine example:

This is the top quarter of a tiny (3") pamphlet on the presidential election of 1920, a small bit of political ephemera found in exactly one library worldwide.  It provides a little coverage for the James Cox (a Democrat from Ohio whose running mate was FDR and who found the still-very-existent Cox Communications) and Warren Harding (another Ohioan newspaper magnate but a Republican).  Harding was the compromise candidate in a field showing La Follette, Hoover, Coolidge, and Leonard Wood (among others) who became the party's choice on the eight ballot.  Cox was the Democrat favorite, but it didn't help much, as Harding went on to a tremendous victory with 60% of the vote (and a 404-127 electoral college landslide).  Harding had a number of problems in his presidency, including his 1923 death, an administration pockmarked by scandal, but punctuated by some forward-paced and interesting movements in finance and social issues.  My feeling is that he doesn't deserve the 40's that he pulls in POTUS rankings, but Teapot Dome (and etc) are remembered still for him more than anything else.

None of this helped Cox, who managed to lose the solid south, causing Tennessee to be the first of the eleven original Confederate states since Reconstruction to vote Republican. 

 

Comments

[Smut Clyde]

Ha! A nice use of the Corridor Illusion / Ponzo Illusion.