Presidential Campaign Lantern, 1864-1868
THF155740 / Presidential Campaign Lantern, 1864-1868
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Artifact Overview
Late-nineteenth-century political parties rallied their supporters by holding torchlight parades. In the evening, marchers lit up the street carrying torches, lamps and lanterns. Inexpensive paper lanterns glowed with the image or name of the party's candidate or other patriotic imagery. Backers of the Union would proudly carry a lantern like this at parades during and just after the Civil War.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Paper lantern
Date Made
1864-1868
Place of Creation
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
72.31.55
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Cardboard
Paper (Fiber product)
Tin (Metal)
Wire
Color
Blue
Red
White (Color)
Dimensions
Diameter: 7.25 in
Height: 10.25 in
Inscriptions
UNION
Keywords |
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Related Content
SetAbraham Lincoln: Getting Re-elected, 1864
- 10 Artifacts
The possessor of this small token supported Abraham Lincoln for president in 1864. Trinkets, such as this one, reminded American citizens why they backed certain parties and candidates. Most tokens were just that -- small coins carried around in purses or pockets. This token, however, could be attached to a ribbon or pin and became an outward display of support for the Republican candidate.
articleConserving Our Political Paper Lanterns
The Henry Ford holds an extensive collection of paper political campaign lanterns, very rare and delicate late-19th-century survivors, and recently conserved them to preserve them for the future.