Hot Buttons: A History of Campaign Swag

A new book makes us yearn for the good ol’ days, when presidential candidates went beyond the red, white, and/or blue signage to design exotic, collectible paraphernalia to sway votes and commemorate their inaugurations. In Campaigning for President (Smithsonian), lawyer and magazine publisher Jordan M. Wright draws upon his vast personal collection of presidential election memorabilia to tell the story of campaign swag — think log cabin-themed brooches (William Henry Harrison), kneesocks (Alfred E. Smith), and a metal token of a sneering James Garfield sporting a devil’s tail.