Democrat Presidential Campaign Buttons

Collage image of Democratic presidential campaign buttons from throughout the 19th and 20th Century. Buttons include Kennedy, Dukakis, Mondale, Johnson, and others.

Political buttons have been around since the George Washington campaign. Early "buttons" were simply a brass lapel pin with an engraving.  As soon as the first photographs were printed, campaign buttons often included a picture along with a campaign slogan or the names of the candidates.  Celluloid buttons (round metal disks covered with thin paper and enclosed in a celluloid film) became popular in the early twentieth century, and were the most popular buttons of the "golden age  of campaign buttons" between 1896 and 1916. Campaign buttons remain a popular method to show support for political candidates and causes.