NEW YORK - Have you ever thought about bringing a 2.5-metre burning torch to a political rally? What about drinking John McCain-brand juice?
Those gestures may sound creepy today, but burning torches were one of the first examples of American campaign memorabilia in the 1800s. And presidential nominees in the 1960s had their names emblazoned on juice cans, including Barry Goldwater's "gold water" - "The right drink for the conservative taste."
It wasn't all witch-hunting and thirst-quenching; there was plenty of potty humour, too. In fact, early American campaign memorabilia makes today's wry slogans on T-shirts look tame.
Some trinkets were signs of the times never to be seen again, like the McKinley parasol, the Eisenhower cigarette pack and the Kennedy paper dress.
Others have evolved. The political button may have had its start as coat buttons like the ones made to commemorate Washington's inauguration in 1789, said Sara Henry, deputy director and chief curator of the Museum of the City of New York.
"This brass button says 'Long live the president,' and this one has his initials in the middle," she said, pointing to the encased artifacts. The buttons are part of the exhibit "Campaigning for President: New York and the American Election," which is open at the museum through Election Day.
But it was not until the middle of the 19th century when all white men got the vote - as opposed to just land owners - that political parties used memorabilia to "sell" candidates to the masses, Henry said.
Tall torches adorned with photos of candidates were passed out during rallies and parades to light the dark streets. Paper lanterns decorated with a candidate's picture, a rare item because most burned, were also used for campaigning.
William Henry Harrison, elected in 1841, is said to be the first candidate to actively campaign for president, said Larry Bird, curator of the Division of Politics and Reform at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. In addition to torch poles topped with his signature log cabin, the campaign made domestic items such as women's brushes and sewing boxes.
There was plenty of negative campaigning, too. One of the earliest examples at the New York exhibit is the Grover Cleveland and Allen Thurman chamber pot from 1888. Then there are the William McKinley pigs. Playing on the phrase, "In a pig's ass, I'd vote for McKinley," the little pigs have a hole at the rear that you can look through and see a picture of McKinley.
"You do see a lot of potty humour in American politics," Henry said. "We haven't included a lot of it in the exhibit because much of it is just so juvenile."
William Jennings Bryan, a candidate from about 1896 to 1913 and known for his long speeches, was frequently represented by a coffin along with the phrase, "Talked to death." And then there's the McKinley doll. The porcelain and cloth doll, when held upright, is McKinley. When turned upside down, it's an African-American baby, referring to the accusation he fathered an illegitimate black child.
In 1944, a poster impugned vice presidential candidate Harry Truman on the basis of his Southern background by drawing him in a Ku Klux Klan outfit. More functional items are the Reagan slippers, the comb to "Comb Nixon out of your hair," and the Kerry flip-flops.
