The 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago concluded on Thursday with thousands of balloons pouring from the ceiling. While the DNC lasted only a few days, left behind were items that included hats, pins and signs.
This is where the Smithsonian National Museum of American History steps in to collect and preserve this memorabilia, capturing the spirit and pride of the convention for future generations.
Museum visitors can see everything from pins and peanuts to boxes of macaroni and cheese and ketchup bottles—all produced and used at one time to win votes.
“It really demonstrates a very active way in which individuals participate in the Democratic process,” said Claire Jerry, a political history curator at the Smithsonian.
Jerry and fellow curator Jon Grinspan are what you could call historical dumpster divers, always on the lookout for political memorabilia.
Since 1988, they have been sending a crew to primaries, caucuses, conventions and protests to actively collect memorabilia items before they land in the garbage.
Last month, Grinspan and Jerry attended the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee as guests of the GOP, tracking down items that tell the story of 2024. They collected signs that delegates quickly made after Sen. JD Vance was announced as former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
This week in Chicago, the curators continued their work at the Democratic National Convention, gathering shirts, signs and other items. Grinspan spotted a hat on the convention floor that he wanted to add to the collection.
“We love those things that have history from the past, present, and future—those make the best objects,” said Grinspan.
Back in Washington, D.C., hundreds of thousands of these items are cataloged and stored at the museum. The museum has items dating back to the 1844 Whig convention in Baltimore. Among the newer acquisitions include an at-home convention kit that Democrats sent to delegates four years ago during the pandemic so they could participate virtually.
Jerry said the significance of preserving these objects lies within the person who once held the item.
“I think the objects are really important because somebody used them. It’s not just something they watched on television, but it’s something they wore or they carried and it meant something to them,” said Jerry.
The items collected from the DNC in Chicago will need to be processed and cataloged at the Smithsonian. While much of the massive collection remains in storerooms, some of what was gathered in Chicago may eventually be displayed at the Museum of American History.
