Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Preferred Citation

American Political Items Collectors collection, C0023, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated by Richard Lyon and Robert Fratkin of APIC in 1981 and donated by Theodore Hake in 1982. Additional photographs donated by Mills Kelly in 2009.

Processing Information

The APIC Collection was processed in 1988 by Special Collections Research Center Staff. It was divided alphabetically and chronologically into six separate boxes. In 2008 the collection was re-processed by Beth Jante, Special Collections Research Center Staff. The collection was put into new folders and boxes and arranged into three series: Subject Files, Printed Material and Oversize Material. The collection now spans eight boxes.

Biographical Information

The American Political Items Collectors (APIC) is a non-profit membership organization that seeks to encourage and support the collection, study and preservation of original materials relating to political campaigns of the United States of America. The APIC was founded in 1945 with the hope of promoting the heritage of the United States through the study of materials that cover political campaigns and the presidency.

Scope and Content

The American Political Items Collectors Collection (APIC) contains donations of scholarly material that relates to national political campaigns as well as American history dating from 1895 to 1988. This collection is comprised of presidential campaigning materials that stem from bumper stickers to voting ballots. Not only is it an extensive collection of presidential campaigns but it also houses historical magazines, newspapers, and many other manuscripts and books. The APIC collection is divided into three series for easy research and use. The three series are: Subject Files, arranged alphabetically; Printed Material, arranged alphabetically; and Oversize Materials, separated into posters and newspapers arranged chronologically.

The first series, Subject Files, ranges from 1895 to 1982. It is composed of campaigning materials from presidential candidates such as Jimmy Carter, Hubert Humphrey,George McGovern, Richard Nixon and many more. Included in this campaigning material are informational pamphlets, stickers and stamps. The inaugural events and invitations to John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson's inaugural celebration are included here as well as a copy of the Watergate Transcript. The historic voting ballots of 1936 which elected Franklin D. Roosevelt president are in this collection as well. Also in the Subject Files is a collection of magazines such as "Time" and "Life" from 1960-1967 that cover the life and death of President John F. Kennedy. Lyndon B. Johnson's photography book entitled "This America" is also included here.

The second series, Printed Material, is composed of magazines, newsletters and books dating from 1932 to 1982. Included in this collection is the APIC newsletter, "Keynoter," dating from 1967 to 1982, as well as the 1965 APIC "Brummagem." Also included are special 1976 magazine issues covering the 200-year anniversary of America. Magazines included for these special anniversary issues are "McCall's," "Time," and "Newsweek." Also provided in the Printed Materials series are handbooks, pamphlets, admission tickets and official proceeding booklets of the Democratic National Convention from the years 1964 to 1976. Other printed material included in this collection are copies of "Political Intelligence" newsletter, "The Capitol," and "The Standard."

The third series in the APIC collection, Oversize Material, is composed of posters, newspapers, photographs, political buttons and a Presidential Fact Finder Wheel artifact. Posters date from as early as 1940 up to as late as 1980. Some highlights in the poster collection include posters of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale, Richard Nixon, Andrew Pulley and Matilde Zimmerman of the Socialist Workers Party, and Henry Wallace. The newspaper collection contains articles from 1961 to 1981 and is composed of the "Washington Post," "Washington Star," "Washington Daily News," and the "New York Times." Important subjects of these newspapers range from President John F. Kennedy's assassination and interment as well as the marriage of Chuck Robb and Lynda Bird Johnson. Other highlights are the 100 year anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and the inauguration coverage of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. There are also three large format photographs from the 1988 Democratic National Convention and the 1988 Republican National Convention. The photographs are of Michael Dukakis' acceptance speech, Beryl Ann Bentson, Lloyd Bentson, Michael Dukakis, and Kitty Dukakis toegther on the stage, Senator Paul Simon speaking to reporters, Jesse Jackson, Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell. The three political buttons feature "Vote Communist for a free, happy, prosperous America", "Ollie for President!", and "Bush, Quayle '88".

Arrangement

Organized into three series:

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center also holds collections of many Northern Virginia local and national political leaders and organizations, such as the Emilie F. Miller papers, the William Lloyd Scott papers, and the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area records.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Bush, George, 1924-2018
• Carter, Jimmy, 1924-2024
• Eisenhower, Dwight D. (Dwight David), 1890-1969
• Goldwater, Barry M. (Barry Morris), 1909-1998
• Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
• Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963
• Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968
• Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994
• Political campaigns -- United States
• Political posters
• Politicians
• Politics
• Reagan, Ronald
• Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
• United States -- Politics and government -- 20th century
• Watergate Affair, 1972-1974