Some pins from Georgie Manuel’s collection.
In the “olden days”, you could always tell the time of the season by the whitewashing of the trees all over town. That meant the Tri-Parish Fair was only weeks away.
Today, there are tons of political signs all over town, signaling the annual circus coming to town: elections. Some businesses want to cover all bases-there are signs for every candidate that qualified. That’s buttering your bread on both sides!
Long ago, plastic hadn’t fully been invented yet, so small pin backs and other advertising were used by the candidates as a way of advertising the office they were running for. Many of the metals have begun to rust with age.
Included in this collection are: a comb printed “Gift for Women-8th District from Uncle Earl Long - Vote 2”. The cellophane wrapper has a donkey on it and says “Vote Democratic”. Others say “Vote the Long Ticket, Our Next Governor - Huey P. Long” and “Share the Wealth Society - Every Man a King”.
Edwin Edwards issues include a 1963 senatorial token and EWE lapel pins for the 1976 and 1983 campaigns. Other pins were issued for Kennon, Linder, Treen, Moore and Gremillion. Change of pace shows a ballpoint pen from Otto Passman.
Top center are some of the oldest pins. The small square one reads “2nd War Fund”. The next two are for the American Red Cross, the kind we used to get back in school for a small donation. The jeweled flag belonged to my grandmother who depended on me to tell her the appropriate holidays so she could proudly wear her pin.
The presidential ones include Adlai Stevenson, Kennedy-Johnson, Ford-Dole, Reagan-Bush, McCarthy, Dukakis and Perot.
Lower tier are local pins: Greg Fruge, Dale Sittig, Kutch Rougeau,
Tommy Powell, Jr., Ken Peart and Wilson Moosa.
The next two are self-explanatory. The last one expresses my sentiments.
As with any collectible, you pick up what is available. And you really never know where you might find one. Like they say on T.V. - it’s the thrill of the hunt!
Georgie Manuel
August 29, 2010
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