HARRISON AND REFORM IMPORTANT 1840 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN VICTORY BALL AMERICAN FLAG.
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Winning Bid:
$21,845.10
(Includes 18% Buyer's Premium)
Bidding Ended:
Tuesday, July 25, 2023 9:00:00 PM (20 Minute Clock Begins At Tuesday, July 25, 2023 9:00:00 PM)
Item Description
The campaign of 1840 was a watershed moment in the history of Presidential campaign material culture representing the first major widespread use of trinkets for the many parades, demonstrations and gatherings focused mostly on the Whig candidate William Henry Harrison. "Old Tippecanoe", the war hero turned candidate, earned his nickname defeating the Shawnee at the Battle of Tippecanoe. Harrison was 67 years old during the 1840 campaign, the oldest Presidential candidate to date and was derided by opponent Martin Van Buren as "Granny Harrison" who suggested he was better suited to sipping hard cider outside a log cabin. Harrison's campaign turned the slight to their favor framing him as a man of the people while painting Van Buren as an out of touch aristocrat who would rather drink champagne. The slogans Tippecanoe and Tyler Too and the litany of log cabin & hard cider barrel artifacts were critical to expanding Harrison's popularity but perhaps the most innovative element of Harrison's campaign was the introduction of the Victory Ball. These massive spheres of leather and tin were covered in campaign slogans, as is illustrated on this flag, and rolled from town to town to spread the word about the candidate, a not so simple task given the terrain in the rustic countryside of 1840 America. The phrase "Keep The Ball Rolling" was popularized because of these demonstrations and remains a part of the modern lexicon. It's easy to imagine the interest the Victory Ball must have garnered when Harrison supporters arrived in a new town, illustrated by the massive turnout of 60,000 reported at a June campaign event on the site of the Battle of Tippecanoe, the largest campaign rally ever at the time.
22x28". Silk. This is the plate example from Collins Threads of History listed as plate #143 on p.105. The thirteen stars in the canton are arranged as a wreath of 12 encircling a large star at center, a pattern known as the "3rd Maryland" a reference to the regiment of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The central motif features a large victory ball with visible log cabin and cider barrel at left and US Capitol at right representing Harrison's path from the log cabin to Washington. The victory ball is inscribed "May Times Improve As On We Move/To Guide The Ship We'll Try Old Tip/Tippecanoe And Tyler/Old Allegheny/Don't Stop This Ball/Heart And Soul Is Ball We Roll." Older clear tape stabilization at bottom right fly end. Cloth archival tape stabilizations on verso at; top right corner of canton, the "N" in "Harrison", top left quadrant of Victory Ball and most notably at bottom left edge in the corner of fly end. Scattered tiny holes, some affecting central motif and text. Otherwise expected moderate even age and handling. Good. Strong colors and extreme rarity make this a good candidate for conservation. Flags from the 1840 campaign are the earliest printed parade flags and this is the only design known to utilize the Victory Ball device on any Harrison flag. With only three examples known to us, this offering represents an important opportunity for advanced collectors to obtain a touchstone campaign parade flag from the onset of the era of campaign material culture.
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