As a sixth-grade student in the 1950s, Stephen Russell's enthusiasm for collecting baseball cards transformed into a passion for collecting political memorabilia when Topps came out with presidential collector cards.

Now principal of Belle Vernon School District's Bellmar Middle School in Washington Township, Fayette County, Russell has covered school walls and filled display cases with his collection.

"The displays visually stimulate the kids and give them a feeling of the history of the country," Russell said.

Thousands of people collect political memorabilia including campaign signs, presidential portraits, statues, miniature figurines and campaign buttons. Unlike most of them, Russell is able to use his school as a venue to show off the collection.

The displays of political memorabilia inspire students to ask questions, said Marla McClosky, 51, of Belle Vernon, whose four children attended the middle school in Washington Township, Fayette County. Students wouldn't be as curious about elections if not for the large collection, she said.

"It gives them an awareness of the different presidents there have been throughout the years," McClosky said.

The appeal of political memorabilia is that campaign items were never meant to be collected, said Mark Evans of Avon, N.Y., the member services director for American Political Items Collectors. He said campaign items were meant to be used during a campaign, and then discarded.

Celluloid campaign buttons, in particular, were invented in 1896 as a cheap way to produce a badge of support for a candidate. Since then, people throughout history have collected the buttons, and some rare ones are worth thousands of dollars.

"Buttons are little pieces of history. Every item tells the story of a campaign or a cause," Evans said.

When someone stole a rare campaign button showing an anti-Nixon sentiment from Howard Zane, 69, of Howard County, Md., his quest to find it turned into a hobby.

Although he considers himself more of an acquirer than a collector, Zane picks up campaign buttons when he sees them on eBay or at antique shops simply because he likes the way they look.

"Political buttons are very colorful, artistic and beautiful," Zane said.

Susan Hansen, a political science professor at the University of Pittsburgh, said political memorabilia, especially campaign buttons, are just a way for nominees to get their names out in the public.

Low-budget campaigns, specifically in Wisconsin and Maine, have prided themselves on spending as little money as possible, which includes omitting items such as political memorabilia, Hansen said. As for collectors, Hansen said she doesn't think campaign keepsakes hold any special significance in the reason for collecting them.

"They are just another one of those things to collect," Hansen said. 

Russell, the principal, disagrees. With more than 10,000 political buttons and countless other campaign collectibles, his displays stick with the students long after they leave middle school. 

"I get a lot of response after they graduate," Russell said. "They tell me how inspired they were by the things here." 

Reference:

Jordan, Tiffany.( 2008, April 22). Memorabilia help students feel part of the process. Retrieved on May 17, 2008 from http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/fayette/s_563602.html