New York State Museum Special Exhibit " Running for Governor "

Friday, 22 December 2006 17:19

ALBANY, NY – In honor of Governor-Elect Elliot Spitzer’s inauguration, the New York State Museum will be open during regular hours on New Year’s Day with free family programs, as well as a special exhibition of rare artifacts reflecting more than two centuries of New York State politics and social history.

Running for Governor: New York Election Campaign Collections, 1777 to 2006 will be open outside West Gallery from New Year’s Day through mid-January and documents the gubernatorial elections spanning the eras from former Governor George Clinton to Governor –Elect Eliot Spitzer.  Complementing the exhibition will be artifacts from other non-gubernatorial campaigns held in New York State, such as those for the Supreme Court, comptroller, attorney general, U.S. Senate and others.

The exhibition will include collections from the State Museum, State Library and State Archives.  Many of the items are from a one-of-a-kind collection of artifacts, recently acquired from Bill Winnewisser of Syracuse, which represents major, as well as third party candidates.  The exhibition will include furniture, rare broadsides, early campaign buttons, bumper stickers, election leaflets, banners, artwork and other objects.  They show how campaign literature has evolved from being very formal to more casual and creative.  The artifacts reflect historically important issues that were discussed and debated by candidates in New York State and the country-at-large, including transportation, civil rights, education, abolition, the environment and prohibition.

Some of the specific items that will be on display include former Governor DeWitt Clinton’s chair, circa 1825; circa 1816 Clinton painting; a colorful 1994 Peter Max poster that was a tribute to former Governor Mario Cuomo; an 1899 tray bearing the image of former Governor and President Theodore Roosevelt; a 1900 practice voting machine; a 1919 Al Smith inaugural badge; an expenditure listing for the 1931 inauguration of former Governor and President Franklin Roosevelt; several tickets to various 1933 inaugural events for former Governor Herbert Lehman and a 1795 broadside depicting former Governor Robert Yates.