Political Flags Collection at George Washington University

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Political Flags Collection: Exploring Flags as Symbols of Ideology

While it’s tempting to think that the rancorous 2016 election was the nastiest in US history, Mark Shenkman ’65 (CLAS) H ’07, an American history buff and pre-eminent collector of American presidential campaign flags and textiles, would disagree. He points to the 1844 race between Whig candidate Henry Clay and Democratic rival James Polk as equally ferocious, featuring one of Shenkman’s favorite flags in his collection, which depicts Clay as a raccoon thumbing its nose at the establishment—and winning the election.

In addition to showcasing the Shenkmans’ trove of historic campaign art, the exhibition will demonstrate how the American flag was used in the promotion of presidential candidates more than a century ago—and how the themes of reform, prosperity and patriotism resonate today. The exhibition is on loan through Dec. 18. Shenkman is a founder and managing partner of Shenkman Capital Management, a global money management firm headquartered in New York City; and he serves on the boards of directors at both George Washington University and Wilbraham & Monson Academy.