(DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) Membership ribbon from the Blaine Inv

Sale 2580 - Lot 129

Price Realized: $ 422

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 600 - $ 900

(DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.) Membership ribbon from the Blaine Invincible Republican Club of Washington, an African-American political club. Ribbon, 13 x 3 inches, composed mostly of silk with attachments including a celluloid "Member" tag at top, a 1-inch round celluloid engraved portrait of Blaine below it, a 1 1/2-inch round celluloid portrait of Perry Carson at center, remnants of a black silk ribbon on verso, and gilt braided fringe at bottom and surrounding the Blaine portrait; silk worn with horizontal separation, mostly stabilized by gilt trim. Washington, DC, circa 1900-09

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The Blaine Invincible Republican Club was a political organization which was chartered in 1876, and was discussed frequently in the Washington press from 1884 through their founder and president Perry Carson's death in 1909. They remained in existence at least through 1932. The club's namesake was white Republican leader James G. Blaine, who served in Congress from 1863 to 1881, ran unsuccessfully for president in 1884, and was Secretary of State from 1889 to 1892. His portrait is mounted at the top of the badge. Several other Republican clubs across the country (black and white) assumed the Blaine Invincible name, most notably in San Francisco, but the Washington club was the only one to continue under that name long after its namesake's influence had passed.

At bottom is an uncaptioned portrait of Perry H. "Colonel" Carson (1842-1909), the club's leader for many years, and a major force in city politics. He represented the city's Republicans of all races at the national conventions from 1880 to 1900. Large in size as well as influence and personality, he was known as the "Silver-Haired Giant" or "the Tall Black Oak of the Potomac."