William McKinley & Henry Clay Evans Jugate Campaign Ribbon
Tennessee, 1896 — Length: 6 inches
 
A vivid and visually compelling silk campaign ribbon issued in support of William McKinley and Henry Clay Evansduring the pivotal election of 1896. The design centers two photographic portraits within a gilt-printed frame beneath the bold legend “TENNESSEE’S CHOICE,” further enlivened by applied silk bow devices in patriotic colors. While McKinley would secure the presidency, Evans—prominently advanced as a vice-presidential hopeful—represents a lesser-seen regional alignment within the broader Republican campaign, lending the ribbon both political and historical nuance.
 
Objects of this type were produced for localized distribution, often reflecting state-level advocacy within national contests. The present example, distinguished by its strong color and decorative complexity, offers a particularly evocative survival from a transformative moment in American political culture, when campaign imagery assumed an increasingly coordinated and symbolic role.
 
Condition: Superb, with a small 1½-inch separation on the reverse at the lower edge.