The Race. [1888 American presidential campaign ephemera]

Voting under the watchful eyes of Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam

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A rare political ephemera piece from the Gilded Age, The Start, depicts presidential candidates Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, Clinton Fisk, and Alson Streeter as jockeys racing toward the White House. In the stands above, Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty watch over a crowd gathered below.

The vibrant illustration captures the competitive spirit of the 1888 election, a race that pitted Harrison, the Republican nominee, against incumbent Democrat Cleveland, with Prohibitionist Fisk and Union Labor candidate Streeter as additional contenders.

The verso displays electoral vote tallies from the 1884 and 1888 elections, detailing each state’s allocation per candidate. An advertisement for the Birdsell Manufacturing Company of South Bend, Indiana, promoting their carriages, phaetons, and other products, also appears—blending political and commercial promotion.

Benjamin Harrison won the presidency despite losing the popular vote to Grover Cleveland by about 90,000 votes.

Price: $100.00