FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 29, 2004 |
Contact: Maribeth Cowan, Public Relations Director
(804) 342-9665 email:
maribeth@vahistorical.org
PIVOTAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, 1789-1968: THE ALLEN FREY COLLECTION
ON EXHIBIT MAY 8, 2004 THROUGH JANUARY 3, 2005, AT THE VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Richmond, VA–Pivotal presidential elections are not a recent phenomenon, as demonstrated in the Virginia
Historical Society's upcoming exhibition, Pivotal Presidential Elections, 1789–1968: The Allen Frey Collection
on view May 8, 2004, through January 3, 2005. Based on presidential campaign memorabilia from the extensive collection of
Virginia radiologist Dr. Allen Frey, this exhibition features elections that marked turning points in the nation’s electoral
politics. Nearly 100 buttons, pins, ribbons, prints, mugs, cartoons, cards, bandanas, and more highlight the elections
of 1789 and 1792 (George Washington), 1800 (Thomas Jefferson), 1828 (Andrew Jackson), 1860 (Abraham Lincoln),
1896 (William McKinley), 1912 (Woodrow Wilson), 1932 (Franklin Roosevelt), and 1968 (Richard Nixon).
The nation's first election in 1789 was pivotal because it was the first and George Washington was unanimously
elected, as he was in 1792. The election of 1800 is most remembered for the electoral tie between Aaron Burr and
Thomas Jefferson. The election was thrown into the House of Representatives, and three years later the 12th
Amendment requiring separate balloting for president and vice president was passed. Andrew Jackson's
victory in 1828 marked a change in the nature of political campaigns from decisions made among the elite
class to those made with widespread participation of the common citizen. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was
the first president to be chosen by a majority in the Electoral College but not in the popular vote, which
was split among four candidates. Beginning with the 1896 election of William McKinley, the association
of the Republican Party with prosperity led to Republican dominance until 1932. The only interruption
was the 1912 election of Woodrow Wilson, whose platform on regulation of trusts, women's suffrage,
better conditions for factory workers, minimum wage, and an eight-hour working day made the Democrats
more progressive than they had ever been. With the stock market crash of 1929, the Republicans lost
their association with prosperity, so in 1932 Franklin Roosevelt was elected president based on his New
Deal promises. With the exception of Dwight Eisenhower, this Democratic dominance lasted until Richard
Nixon's victory in 1968, when his "law and order" appeal won over blue collar votes in the North. For
the first time in history, no southern state voted Democratic.
The Virginia Historical Society is located at 428 N. Boulevard. The Story of Virginia, An American Experience,
a 10,000-square-foot exhibition with more than a thousand objects covering all of Virginia history from prehistoric
times to the present is featured in the Robins Center for Virginia History. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10am - 5pm
and Sunday 1pm - 5pm (Museum Galleries only). Admission: $5/adults, $4/seniors 55+ ($2/Tuesdays–galleries
only), $3/children and students, free/members. Admission to the galleries is free on Mondays. For group tour
information, call (804) 342-9652. For more information, please call (804) 358-4901 or visit
www.vahistorical.org.
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