Presidential politicking exhibit comes to Huntington museum

While presumptive presidential nominees Sen. Barack Obama (D) and Sen. John McCain (R) battle it out until November, locals can see the history of presidential campaigns starting today at the Huntington Museum of Art.

The new exhibit titled "Presidential Politicking: Campaign Memorabilia from George Washington to George W." is a comprehensive collection of presidential campaign items that spans 1792 to the present. Four private collectors, including three from West Virginia, donated the items that will be displayed from today through mid-September in the museum's Gallery Three.

Senior museum curator Jenine Culligan said she expects the exhibit to be a big hit because it focuses on the history of an important current issue -- presidential politics. Campaigning, she said, isn't just about buttons and posters but about intricate works of art, detailed photographs and sculpted items.

"It's interesting to see the progression of products for the electoral process," Culligan said. "When you're looking at the exhibit, it's fascinating to place yourself in history."

The Rev. Edward Grant, a major contributor to the exhibit, donated a number of items to the exhibit including vintage campaign ribbons, whiskey flasks and pins. His collection spans the entire length of American presidential politics.

Grant, a Hurricane resident, believed the exhibit will be a success because it appeals to a variety of interests. While other exhibits focus on a particular form of art or a particular time period, Grant said the exhibit is enjoyable because it includes art, history and politics through a 216-year span.

Grant's donated collection includes memorabilia from all of the presidential candidates who ran, not only the winning candidates.

"Having a collection of winners and losers gives a better visual of the types of materials used in campaigning from the earliest to the latest," he said. "The exhibit really is a fascinating history of presidential politics."

Other contributors include private collectors Paul Ellis and Robert Maxwell of West Virginia and political memorabilia dealer Rex Stark of Massachusetts. For more information on the exhibit, hours or other museum features, call the Huntington Museum of Art at 304-529-2701 or visit the Web site at www.hmoa.org.