Blue and white photographs of Ford and Dole on a white background with red stripes around and between and blue at the top with white text and blue text along the bottom

The presidential election of 1976 coincided with the United States Bicentennial. President Gerald Ford and his running mate Bob Dole utilized patriotic themes throughout their campaign. Ford had not been elected to either the vice-presidency or the presidency. President Nixon appointed him the vice president under the terms of the 25^th Amendment after Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. Following the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald Ford became the 38^th President of the United States. Ford had anticipated retiring from politics after his vice-presidential term was over and therefore had to be convinced to enter the 1976 presidential election campaign. He won the nomination of the Republican party over former Governor of California Ronald Reagan. Bob Dole was chosen as a running mate to satisfy the more conservative members of the party. While President Ford’s campaign got increased press coverage due to him presiding over numerous bicentennial events, the Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter won the election with 50.1% of the popular vote and 297 electoral votes compared to Ford’s 48% of the popular vote and 240 electoral votes.

Photograph of John Travolta.  White text with illustrated feather along bottom of button.

Michael is a film from 1996 directed by Nora Ephron (You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally...) and starring John Travolta, Andie MacDowell, and William Hurt. The movie centers around two tabloid reporters and an angel expert who discover that Michael the Archangel (played by Travolta), is living with an elderly woman after she writes to them. However, Michael is not like how they imagined. Instead, he's a smoker and drinker with a colorful vocabulary.

In general, the film received mixed reviews with critics, but was a hit at the box office. It went on to hold the #16 spot for 1996.

Illustration of beaver wearing a coonskin cap holding a straight razor in one hand, and touching face with the other on a white background inside a blue border.  White text inside blue border and brown text below illustration.

The Fur Rendezvous is a winter festival held every February in Anchorage, Alaska. It is viewed by residents as a marking of the end of winter and beginning of spring. The name originates from swap meets during which fur trappers would trade their harvest with others. Promotional buttons, such as this one, have been sold every year since 1939 in order to raise money for the Rendezvous. National Geographic named the Fur Rendezvous the number one winter carnival in the world.

Illustration of an orange question mark symbol on a white background.

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Abstract shapes of pink, white and grey on a black background.

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Black pen and ink illustration of rock pigeon on a white background.

Pigeons are one of the oldest domesticated birds known, they have been around since Mesopotamia and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Similar to doves, though considered the bigger of the species, pigeons are known as Columba Livia. Sometimes referred to as domestic, feral or rock pigeons; common in large numbers in open city spaces. These birds are considered quite sacred in various religious ceremonies. They have a natural ability to adapt to humans and because so, historically they have been instrumental in delivering news during times of need throughout the world, and are credited with being one of the first award winning species to serve as a messaging service before the advent of modernized services. 

Illustration of orange whose shape encompasses the entire button.

An orange is a citrus fruit. It is a hybrid between a pomelo and a mandarin. The orange’s origins come from India, China, and Myanmar. Since 1987, oranges are the most cultivated fruit. They grow in tropical and subtropical climates. 70% of citrus production are sweet oranges. The other types of oranges include bitter, bergamot, and trifoliate oranges. Brazil produces 24% of the total oranges grown. The word orange comes from the Sanskrit word nāraṅga.

Have info on this button? Contact us here.

Stylized illustration of two kangaroos facing each other.

When the explorer James Cook and his crew first arrived in Australia in 1770, an indigenous tribe used the word ‘gangurru’ in referencing these strange creatures. The kangaroo would go on to become an emblem of Australia, appearing on the new nation’s coat of arms, air force, currency, and stamps and as logos for sports teams and a wide variety of companies.

Kangaroos are marsupials belonging to the macropod family, which means ‘big foot’ in Latin. This family includes the formidable red kangaroos, the smaller grey kangaroos, and the much smaller wallabies, potoroos, and tree kangaroos. 

Cartoon illustration of two people sitting at a desk on a white background.  Black text below illustration.

Herb Gardner (December 28, 1934 – September 25, 2003) was born in New York and studied at Antioch college. While at Antioch he developed the comic strip "The Nebbishes" which became very famous in the 1950s. The Nebbishes characters (seen on this button) were marketed on everything from coffee mugs to ashtrays. Besides being a cartoonist, Herb Gardner was also a musician, novelist, and playwright.

Illustration of a girl and dog sitting on a dock on a pond with their backs facing the viewer.

The girl and dog image is a painting known as either “Bathing Beauties” or “Pals” and is often attributed to the German artist Elimar Ulrich Bruno Piglhein. Born in Hamburg in 1848, Piglhein studied painting under the tutelage of both Wilhelm Ferdinand Pauwels and Wilhelm von Diez. He later went on to become a professor and honorary associate at the Munich Academy. While Piglhein is not a well known artist outside of the art community, his works still continue to sell at auctions around the world.