Photographs of political buttons by David F. Romero
Election Day approaches, and nothing says "VOTE FOR ME" quite like a snazzy campaign button. The ones pictured here come courtesy of amateur historian Al Feldstein, of Allegany County, whose collection approaches 15,000.
"To me, these buttons are one of the most graphic and visually colorful depictions of our First Amendment freedoms of speech and assembly," he says. "They portray our history via the public-policy debates, personalities, organizations, and issues."
So whether your personal taste in campaign bling leans toward the dignified or the daring, sport it proudly as you head to the polls!
Many of the buttons pictured here have been archived by the Western Maryland Regional Library (www.whilbr.org), Feldstein's acclaimed "Buttons of the Cause 1960-2003" poster can be purchased at www.buttonsofthecause.com or at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
For a direct link to the collection at the Western Maryland Regional Library go to: http://www.whilbr.org/MarylandCampaignButtons/index.aspx
