Continuing our focus on British electoral history in the run up to the seventh general election of the 21st century, Dr Philip Salmon takes a look at some of the popular election ephemera and prints associated with 19th century electioneering, highlighting some themes that may still strike a chord.
In previous blogs we have outlined some of the key differences between nineteenth and twenty-first century elections, from the method of polling votes to the election ceremonies and rituals, as well as the prevalence of drink and violence which often formed part of election proceedings. Another aspect of electoral culture which has changed significantly is the decline in popular enthusiasm for buying and collecting election memorabilia and souvenirs.
Election memorabilia produced commercially still exists, of course. But during the Victorian era the appetite for this sort of material, aided by new manufacturing techniques and ever-expanding newspaper coverage, spawned a mass market as never before. That is not to say that politicians hadn’t always been feted and commemorated, not least by their own class. The many portraits, busts and statues gracing most civic spaces and private mansions provide ample evidence of this.
What was different about the 19th century was the sheer scale of mass popular engagement with politics and the growing commercialisation that ensued, with new products catering for every taste and type of pocket. Aided by a cult of domesticity bordering on the obsessive, non-elite Victorians crammed their homes with political mementos and trinkets ranging from the highly decorative to the purely practical.
Some of our previous blogs have focussed on the memorabilia that was produced to mark major political events, such as the 1832 Reform Act, municipal reform, or corn law repeal. But general elections also created similar opportunities to memorialise and express political allegiances using a wide range of objects.
For some it was the election paraphernalia itself that mattered most. Original squibs, addresses and posters were always in high demand as collectibles, so much so that reprinting them on silk in a candidate’s political colours (see above) became quite common.
Whether these were supposed to be displayed or used as large handkerchiefs is unclear, but they survive in considerable numbers and were often available at the same shops which sold commercially produced pollbooks, showing how everyone in a constituency had voted. Some of these personal collections eventually formed the basis of important archival resources.
Tokens and medallions, made in materials ranging from the cheapest alloys to precious metals, were similarly portable and wearable, with larger, luxury versions often also available for display as table medals.
How many people actually used the mountains of pottery transferware – the numerous jugs, pots, plates and cups commercially produced around election time – is unclear. Items like spoons, tankards, paper weights, silk bookmarks (left) and tobacco pipes had a similar potential for practical use. Much of this material was nationally oriented, sporting images of leading politicians. However, a surprising number of items were also produced for what were clearly local markets, celebrating the return or career of a constituency MP. Valedictory plates for defeated local heroes were also often bought up by loyal supporters, often in tandem with lavish events presenting former MPs with silverware.
Probably the most accessible form of election memento, in terms of cost and appeal, was the election caricature. Often hand-coloured and drawing upon well-worn tropes and traditions of British political satire, these prints could be purely local, mocking the events and personalities of a particular contest, or more generalised, targeting national figures or the whole electoral process.
Some of the 19th century cartoons parodying the relationship between electors and the elected, in particular, have a timeless appeal that might seem surprising, especially given how different the Victorian polling system was to our own.
One of my all time favourites is the series of ‘election squibs and crackers’ produced by William Heath for the 1830 general election, aptly ‘dedicated to electors in general’. [Click on the image below to enlarge the text.]
The Victorian Commons 