Connecting the Past to the Present To Zina Davis, director of the Museum of American Political Life, the thousands of banners, buttons, broadsides, and other objects that remain from long-ago presidential campaigns are not artifacts but tools to understanding themes that are relevant to our own day. "The Will of the People? Presidential Campaigns That Made the Nation," the exhibition now on display, "demonstrates the rich legacy of visual materials that accompanied campaigns and elections, and that represented a constant desire for the candidate to make some kind of contact with the American people—which still exists today," Davis said. Campaign images of William McKinley swathed in American-flag borders, for example, make a not-so-subtle appeal to patriotism, linking the candidate with the nation’s most visible symbol. "We can help make the past come alive, help make us see that we don’t exist as we do today without a strong heritage," Davis said. Davis is excited about the ways in which the exhibit will encourage viewers to discuss current-day issues and ideas. Anyone who thinks that Al Gore’s evocation of peace and prosperity is something new, or that free trade is an issue that began in Seattle, will learn otherwise. "Certainly, presidential politics will be on the minds of most people this time of year, and we hope to enhance that experience by providing a way in which people can look at the campaigns of the past and form their own opinions on issues that still seem salient or crucial in today’s political arena," she said. The current blurring of the lines between news and entertainment and the proliferation of electronic media "all go into creating a very rich environment for discussing ideas," Davis said. The Museum of American Political Life is located in the University’s Harry Jack Gray Center. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. There is no charge for admission. "The Will of the People? Presidential Campaigns That Made the Nation" will be on exhibit through January.

Print version | Feature Stories

Published in September, November, March and June for faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of the University. Published by the Office of Communications - University of Hartford 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, Connecticut, 06117-1599. All contents, unless otherwise specified, copyright 2000 by the University of Hartford.