John Hilhouse’s fascination with the material culture of American political life was spurred by the 1960 campaign of John F. Kennedy. John compiled one of the greatest collections of JFK campaign material in hobby history. Unsurprisingly, John’s fascination spilled over into all areas of Presidential campaign history and over his lifetime he built an impressive collection sourcing material at all levels from flea markets to major auctions. In the process he became one of the great lions of the hobby, a fixture at regional and national gatherings of collectors- always willing to share his knowledge and talk buttons with anyone interested. John was raised in Northern California later moving to Wisconsin to be closer to family. 

When he called us at the end of 2022 to invite me to come select material from his collection for auction I was humbled. John was adamant that he was remaining a collector of Kennedy and was looking forward to the 2024 APIC National in Pittsburgh, PA. As we discussed the future John was excited to see his treasures cross the auction block, looking forward to seeing how other collectors valued his treasures. Suffice to say I was devastated to learn of his passing only a few weeks later. Over the next several auctions we’ll bring you selections from John’s legendary holdings including his renowned JFK collection. John was a discerning collector and a force within the community- he will be greatly missed. I hope this and the coming sales bring as much joy to you as they did to John throughout his collecting journey.

-Scott Mussell Hake’s Americana Specialist