Sale 2458 - Art & Storytelling: Photographs & Photobooks, October 19, 2017

360 c   (EISENHOWER-NIXON BANDWAGON) A pair of large presentation albums with over 120 photographs by Bettie Zacher documenting the official Eisenhower-Nixon bandwagon during the 1952 “I Like Ike!” campaign. A fascinating photographic document with dozens of fun photographs of the iconic barrage balloons with “IKE” in bold letters, including views of the balloons being inflated, waiting for lift off, floating high in the sky above various cities, and lit by spotlight at night; as well as scenes of the parading bandwagon itself, showing campaigners donning “Ike” dresses and handing out campaign buttons to the crowds of supporters. Silver prints, the images measuring approximately 8x10 inches (20.3x25.4 cm.), and the reverse, inserted recto/verso into plastic sleeves, each with Zacher’s credit hand stamp on verso. 4tos, red leatherette with gilt-stamped titles; 3-ring bindings. 1952 [1,500/2,500] The Eisenhower bandwagon consisted of three 25-ton trailer trucks, each decorated with colorful campaign banners and streamers and containing helium tanks for the barrage balloons, thousands of buttons, Navy bosun’s whistles, pieces of ephemera relating to the candidates, a Jeep with a loudspeaker, and 12 “Ike” dresses with parasols and hats.The bandwagon traveled between 29 cities in 32 days, and rolled ahead of the candidates in order to organize parades and receptions. At night powerful spotlights lit up the barrage balloons with their bold “Ike” signs.This was known as an “Ethereal Nocturnal Splendor,” and could be seen from as far as ten miles away.