Vintage Lawn Art: Roberts & Whiting

 I have been recently gifted two vintage lawn signs from the 1970s and 1980s. The first one that was given to me was from the campaign of a local Tigard office holder. Her name was Patricia Whiting. After the creation of single-member districts, she was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. The owners of Whiting's former home found the sign in the garage when they purchased it. I traded them a Whiting bumper sticker for the sign.

Whiting was first elected in 1972 and served through 1979. This was the time of Governors McCall and Straub, and of memorable legislation that contributes to the mythos of the Oregon Story. Legislation like the bottle bill, beach bill, and Oregon's groundbreaking land use planning system (SB 100). The University of California has an interesting archive of some of her records. That's where I found these images (McCall above and lawn sign drying below)

I thought this lawn sign photo was interesting. I work in politics and campaigns for a living and I didn't know what they were doing with these signs (which match the sign above). APIC John Silvertooth explained that the signs are drying. In the old days, campaigns didn't normally have access to finished lawn signs (imagine the plastic bag ones or corrugated plastic ones of today). Volunteers had to print them and then dry them. That's what's going on in this photo.

After Pat's time in the legislature, she would continue to be actively involved in the community. She served on the local Citizen Participation Organization and was a key advocate for protecting the unincorporated community of Metzger from being annexed by Tigard. She helped organize the Local Improvement District to support Metzger Park and helped make sure that when it was time for Metzger school to be rebuilt, it was rebuilt on the existing property. She was very passionate about her community. This Tigard Times article summarizes her contributions to the community and reported on her passing. 

I was able to get another vintage lawn sign. These are from the 1984 campaign of Barbara Roberts in her first run for Oregon Secretary of State. A friend told me he won them at a local party auction and they had been sitting in his basement. I sent this photo to Governor Roberts and she said 'oh the memories!'

 Lawn signs are not a popular thing for collectors and I usually avoid them, especially if someone expects money for them. They take up a lot of space (most collectors have limited space for storage). These signs are an exception. They are from two people I deeply admire, and one I have known since I was a freshman in college. I will gladly find a way to display these on my wall.

Do you have any antique campaign lawn signs? Send us your pics.