Presidential candidates, from George Washington to today, have been marketing themselves, their ideas, or marketing against their opponent, from the beginning. This presentation focuses on the array of “odd” artifacts that candidates have produced to get the candidate’s name and ideas in front of the electorate. Some of the artifacts include a James Monroe snuff box promoting the Monroe Doctrine, a Teddy Roosevelt cast iron door stop, an Eisenhower bar of soap, and a Richard Nixon shower head. This presentation tends to focus on the whimsical, while also explaining the historical significance of the artifacts, and why the candidates would actually produce such oddities.

Steve Mihaly is the recently retired Vice President of the HJ Heinz Co., Pittsburgh.  He began collecting political Americana at the age of 10, and has now been collecting for over 50 years, with a collection that encompasses over 20,000 items. He has been featured with his collection in the Washington Post, LA Times, as well as several national news and morning TV programs.   

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