Many folks are fired up leading into November’s elections, but a little bit of heat and excitement in presidential campaigns is hardly something new. William Harrison offered free booze in 1840 to attract voters; Grover Cleveland robbed the cradle and turned it into a campaign marketing tool; and Western New York native Belva Lockwood shook things up in 1884 as the first woman to run for the White House.
These stories are a part of Shaking Hands and Kissing Babies, an exhibit on presidential campaigns that opens this weekend at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society’s Museum. From Andrew Jackson to Abraham Lincoln to John F. Kennedy, the exhibit will show how presidential candidates shaped their image and dealt with changes in technology. The exhibit will also take a look at grassroots political organizations, women’s suffrage, campaign songs, inaugurations, and how to read a political cartoon.
The museum is kicking off the exhibit with a family-oriented celebration this Saturday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature tours of the exhibit, a stilt-walking Uncle Sam, music from the Friends of Harmony barbershop quartet, Belva Lockwood reenactor Edna Stubbs, members of the Hutchinson Family Revival singers in late 19th century attire, voter registration by the non-partisan League of Women Voters, and the operation of the museum’s Rail Barons model train display. In addition, the first 200 guests will receive a free Sahlen’s hot dog, bag of chips, and a bottled water.
The Shaking Hands and Kissing Babies opening celebration is included in general museum admission, which is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and students ages 13 to 21, $2.50 for children ages 7 to 12, and free for children age 6 and younger. For more information, call the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society at (716) 873-9644 ext. 301 or visit www.bechs.org.
The History Museum is located at 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue.