Sending the Candidates through the Mail: Postcards

With the invention of the United States Postal Service and stamps and postcards, it was made possible to mail someone a card showing a presidential candidate. Most of these appear after 1900, ranging from William Jennings Bryan through the present, although there are a few examples from candidates before 1900. Before the age of computers and telephones, the most effective way for the general public to talk to each other was through the mail, and come election season, you might find a postcard with the likes of William Taft, Woodrow Wilson, or Warren Harding in your mailbox. A few postcards that I have that are used are generally just a brief paragraph discussing something going on in the person's life, while no mention is made of trying to influence the receiver in voting for the candidate shown on the postcard. However, what better way to show who you support than by mailing someone a postcard that has the candidate pictured on it. Postcards are often neatly designed and very colorful, sometimes showing the presidential and vice presidential candidate or a catchy phrase or slogan. Some of the classics are "We Will Win With Woodrow Wilson" or "Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge" just to name a few. Postcards in the hobby are highly collectible, and some of the rarer ones are quite costly. The one setback for postcards can be the condition issue, since paper does not hold up well over one hundred years, often exposed to moisture or water. Finding one in clean and crisp form from the early 1900's is tough, but minor wear does not greatly effect the value. As for stamps, there are few of them that were actually used during the campaign. Most are commemorative and came out after a president died. There are some "seals" that could be used to put on the envelope you were mailing, but were not actual postage. I have pictured a few of the older postcards I have, and notice the designs and message behind them. Most do not just show the candidates, but try to perhaps sway a voter's mind.