Buttons ’n Badges, Ads ’n Chads: 200 Years of Florida Campaign History from the Collection of John Clark

An exhibit entitled Buttons ’n Badges, Ads ’n Chads opens at the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee October 12, 2010, and extends through April 3, 2011. Visitors can explore nearly two hundred years of Florida Campaign History through this display of political memorabilia on loan from Tallahassee collector John Clark.

The public is invited to a free Opening Reception on October 12, 2010 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Collector John Clark will give a multi-media presentation at 6:00 p.m. on “The History of Political Campaigns.”

“This exhibit captures the spirit and energy of competitive political races,” said Historic Capitol Museum Curator, John B. Phelps. “It is fascinating to see how politicians and their supporters have reached out to voters and to discover how campaign tools have changed over the years.”

Campaign memorabilia featured in the exhibit ranges from early ribbons and badges worn at state and national conventions to novelty items and bumper stickers from recent elections. Rare items include ribbons from the campaigns of Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. Clark's extensive collection, which covers presidential campaigns and Florida’s congressional and state-wide races, emphasizes the important role of Florida in national politics. This exhibit highlights the elections of 1876 and 2000, in which Florida delegates played a critical role in deciding the next president of the United States.