Pinback button promoting John F. Kennedy for president and Lyndon Johnson for vice president, 1960. No maker mark.
The world was not a very friendly place in 1960. The United States and its rival for global domination, the Soviet Union, were locked in the fatal embrace of the Cold War. With a Communist republic established on America's doorstep, it seemed the tide was turning against free markets and democracy. At any moment, the fragile detente could end in a devastating nuclear exchange.
Rejecting the prevailing pessimism, John F. Kennedy proclaimed that America's best days lie ahead. A new generation of leaders would meet the unprecedented challenges faced by the free world. Freedom would prevail over tyranny, and friendship would overcome the enmity of sworn adversaries.
This classic pinback, with its beaming portraits of JFK and LBJ, projects the optimism of the campaign.
