"The Old Flag and Protection" Benjamin Harrison Campaign Handkerchief, 1888

Presented is an original Benjamin Harrison campaign handkerchief, from the 1888 presidential election. Printed on white silk, this design features a waving 39-star American flag and the text “The Old Flag and Protection”at center. The flag is ornamented with oval portraits of Benjamin Harrison and his running mate Levi P. Morton, as well as a large Grand Army of the Republic badge. The handkerchief is bordered by a ring of blue stars.

The 1888 Presidential campaign pitted Republican nominee Benjamin Harrison, a former U.S. senator from Indiana, against the incumbent Democratic President Grover Cleveland. The race centered around the tariff issue; Cleveland proposed a dramatic reduction in tariffs, while Harrison took the side of industrialists and factory workers who wanted to keep tariffs high. Cleveland also opposed Civil War pensions, leading to strong support among Union veterans and G.A.R. organization leaders for Harrison. 

The Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was founded in 1866 as an organization of veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marines, and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service. From its beginning in Decatur, Illinois, it grew by 1890 to a membership of 490,000 veterans- organized into hundreds of local posts across the North and West. The G.A.R.’s founding principles were “Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty.” As the organization grew, it functioned as both a fraternal and a political organization and was closely allied with the Republican Party, helping to elect five Union veterans as President of the United States— Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Harrison, and McKinley. 

The GAR rallied behind Harrison, a Civil War veteran brevetted to brigadier during Sherman’s March to the Sea. Throughout the election campaign of 1888, G.A.R. encampments and conventions were openly supportive of the Republican candidate and threw many campaign rallies in his name. This public support from the G.A.R. was critical to Harrison’s success in key northern swing states like New York and Indiana and resulted in Harrison’s electoral victory in November. 

CONDITION:

Very good condition. White silk handkerchief, printed in blue and red. Color is still very vibrant. Very light foxing, minor fraying to edges, and crease lines from storage storage.

Archivally mounted to acid-free black silk mat with UV Conservation clear glass and a custom-built black and gold wooden frame. 

Framed Dimensions: 28 5/8"H x 28 3/4"W x 7/8"D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.