A printed image of Grover Cleveland is surrounded by a brass outer layer. The printed image is protected by a glass covering. 

This button is likely a campaign button used in Grover Cleveland's first Presidential bid in 1884. The button features a modern printed image covered with a protective layer of glass, which represents a pioneering design and technique at the time in button history. For this reason, it is considered one of the “crown jewels” of our collection.

Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908), the first Democrat President after the Civil War, was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. He was the only President to leave the White House and return for a second term four years later (1885-1889 and 1893-1897). He was also the first bachelor President when elected to office and the first one to get married while in office. He met the future First Lady Frances Folsom when she was 11, and proposed to her via a letter when she was attending college. They were married in the Blue Room in the White House.

During his presidencies, Cleveland supported the gold standard and pursued policies that limited government responsibilities and reduced high tariffs. He was also known for his blunt treatment to the railroad workers in Chicago, for that he sent Federal troops to enforce an injunction imposed on the strikers. Cleveland had blemished records on civil rights advancement. He campaigned against the Enforce Bill that ensured the voting rights of African Americans, extended the Exclusion Act on Chinese immigrants, and lobbied congress for a bill to forbid their returns.

A brass button with raised lettering along the top portion of the button. An oval well sits in the center of the button with two large raised letters placed in the middle. 

George Washington inaugural buttons were created to announce the first presidential inauguration. Washington’s inauguration ceremony took place on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. People who attended Washington’s first inauguration could purchase commemorative buttons as souvenirs marking the historic occasion.

There are many different design variations of the George Washington inaugural buttons. However, this version is the most popular and most common. ‘Long Live the President’ is a play on the traditional proclamation of ‘Long Live the King’ which was often declared following the accession of a new monarch to the throne.

A brass rimmed button with an illustration of Stephen Decatur in the center and black text at the top of the button. The illustration and text lies on a white background. 

Commodore Stephen Decatur (1779-1820) was an American naval officer known for his many victories at sea. Throughout his career he commanded seven different battleships and fought in the Quasi-War (1798-1800) against France, and in the First Barbary War against the Barbary States. The latter is considered the United States' first military foray into the Middle East/North Africa region. 

A ferrotype image of Abraham Lincoln sits within a brass frame and black text is listed on the top portion of the image. 

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1965) was the 16th President of the United States. His presidency lasted from March 1861 until he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in Washington, D.C. in April 1865. This "pre-button" was produced in support of Lincoln's 1864 presidential campaign on the Republican ticket against Democrat George B. McClellan of New Jersey. Lincoln was re-elected in a landslide victory through the Electoral College. He was the first president to be re-elected since Andrew Jackson in 1832 and began his second term on March 4, 1865.

An illustration of a gold circle within a blue stand lies in the center of button. The stand is surrounded by a blue laurel wreath and golden circle. The outside of the golden circle is surrounded by capitalized blue text. All of the illustrations and text sit on a white background that is surrounded by brass.

The Mystic Workers of the World was founded in Illinois in 1896 as a fraternal benefit society. The organization was founded to offer insurance alternatives to the growing middle class in the Midwest and northern states. In 1930, Mystic Workers of the World changed its name to Fidelity Life Association.  

A silver rimmed button with gold text all over a blue background. Two short gold ribbons lie on the blue background and are placed on top portion of the button.

This pre-button commemorates the 20th Session of the International Molder's Union of North America, which was held in Chicago in 1895. The I.M.U. of N.A. was formed in 1859 and represented workers who molded iron in particular. A series of mergers led the union to change its name to the International Molders and Allied Workers Union and, in 1988, it merged with the Glass, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GPPA) to create the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMP).

A black and white photo of a man appears in the button's center. Above and below this image is black text. Directly behind the image of the man is the municipal flag of Chicago: two blue bars with red six-pointed stars between them (only 2/4 stars are visible).

Hizzoner was a 2006 play written and performed by Chicago actor Neil Giuntoli. Shown at the Prop Theatre, the play was a fictional account of former Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley. It was nominated for a 2006 Joseph Jefferson Award Citation for New Work.

White text on a red background

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Brown text on a white background with an illustration of a smiling peanut on the left side

This is a button showing support for Jimmy Carter in his 1976 Presidential election. "Peanut" is an affectionate nickname for Jimmy Carter given to him because he used to work on a peanut farm. The slogan on the button "Put a Peanut in Every Pot" is a play on words of  "to put a chicken in every pot," a phrase used by Herbert Hoover in the 1928 election as he promised to voters prosperity and abundance. Hoover announced that if he wins, there would be “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” 

Blue text and a blue and white photograph of a man on a white background

This is a button from John Vilet Lindsay's 1965 New York City mayoral campaign. He ran as a liberal Republican and defeated New York City Comptroller Abraham Beame. Lindsay served to terms as mayor, from 1966-1973. Prior to serving as mayor, Lindsay was a congressman in the US House of Representatives. Despite being a Republican, he voted with Democrats on social and economic issues in congress.

Lindsay's time as mayor was marked with racial unrest, antiwar protests, municipal strikes, and other upheavals during the tumultuous 1960's and early 70's. He ran for President in 1972, but lost in the primary to George McGovern. Lindsay remained in the public eye after he left office by appearing on ABC's Good Morning America as a correspondent and publishing his novel, The Edge. 

The "La Guardia" mentioned on the button is most likely referring to another former New York City mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia. Like Lindsay, La Guardia was a Republican but worked well with the Democrats and was known for his support of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's programs. Lindsay often compared himself to La Guardia in his campaigns.