Controversy in Cloth

 Another rare handkerchief is up for sale.

Tilden & Hendricks: Extremely Rare 1876 Jugate Political Bandana. 1876 was the year of America's Centennial, and this theme is found on many campaign items of that year. Like its Hayes & Wheeler counterpart, this bandana pictures the candidates along with the Father of our Country, and proclaims them the "Centennial Democratic Candidates for 1876." Perhaps because of the Centennial connection, items from this election have always been highly prized by collectors. This bandana is a particularly rare example. While it is listed by Collins in Threads of History (page 213, no. 455), the one pictured in that volume is part of the Smithsonian's collection, and it is our impression that at most four or five other examples may be known in the hobby. It measures 24" x 28" and is made of light cotton. At some point in time, the edges were folded over onto a board and the item placed in a frame. The are some splits in the fabric, concentrated along the central horizontal & vertical folds. There are two splits along the vertical fold, one of which extends into the bottom of the Washington portrait. There is a split which runs across Tilden's forehead, starting from the vertical fold and extending into the border, as well as a similar split on the Hendricks portrait, in the same general location. There are also a few splits along the right border as well as along the bottom border. These splits will become much less apparent, if not totally hidden, when the item is framed. We note a couple of very small holes. The colors are strong and there is none of the typical fading or aging seen on other examples.

P.S. Tilden & Hendricks didn't win the 1876 Presidential election.    This is also one of the most disputed elections ever. (Sound familiar?) According to Wikipedia:

 Although it is not disputed that Tilden outpolled Hayes in the popular vote, after a first count of votes, Tilden had won 184 electoral votes to [Rutherford B.] Hayes's 165, with 20 votes from four states unresolved: in Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, each party reported its candidate had won the state, while in Oregon, one elector was replaced after being declared illegal for being an "elected or appointed official". The question of who should have been awarded these electoral votes is the source of the continued controversy. An informal deal was struck to resolve the dispute: the Compromise of 1877, which awarded all 20 electoral votes to Hayes; in return for the Democrats conceding to Hayes' election, the Republicans agreed to withdraw federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.^[2]

Yep, a good, honest election, resolved in an honest manner for perfectly-good reasons -- other than the truth. You bet.

You can get this piece for your collection, thanks to Heritage Auctions. Follow the link on the first sentence to set up an account.  Starting bid:  $2500.