Political Campaigns

The objects in this collection represent U.S. presidential campaigns, particularly the 1960 campaign between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon, one of the most tightly contested elections in American history. Presidential debates were televised for the first time in 1960, and many people have attributed Kennedy’s win to his polished and confident on-screen demeanor. Nevertheless, the race was extremely close, and Kennedy was elected to the presidency with a lead of just 0.16% of the United States popular vote and 84 electoral votes. Following President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, his words and image have been utilized by subsequent presidential campaigns in an attempt to capture some of the unfulfilled hope and promise of the Kennedy years.