1946 Joseph McCarthy Republican Candidate for U.S. Senator Campaign

Date: 1946 
Artist: Unknown     
Size (in): 13.25" x 10.25"
Size (cm): 33.7 x 26 
Condition: B+
Linen backed: No 

This is a vintage original window card style poster for Joseph McCarthy’s 1946 United States Senate campaign.   This was McCarthy’s first senatorial campaign in which he soundly defeated Democrat Howard McMurray in the general election on November 5th, 1946 to become United States Senator representing Wisconsin.  

The first three years of McCarthy’s first term in the U.S. Senate were unremarkable but on February 5th, 1950 he gave his infamous “Enemies Within” speech wherein he asserted that the State Department was heavily infiltrated by communists and communist sympathizers.  This speech would catapult McCarthy and McCarthyism to the forefront of the American political circus and lead to the so-called Red Scare and a firestorm of controversy that would and ultimately lead to his demise.   

This is a window card or placard style poster printed one side only on lightweight cardboard with a portrait illustration of McCarthy with the title McCARTHY for U.S. SENATOR – Nov. 5th REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE.   Additional text at the bottom reads “Authorized and paid by the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Mrs. Lillian Crandall, Secretary, Hotel Lorraine, Madison, Wis.” Also printed at the bottom of the poster is a printers union made emblem. 

This vintage original poster shows light to moderate handling wear. The poster was mounted in a frame originally and has three small spots on the corners on the back of the poster where there is minor surface loss of paper from tape having been pulled off which does not affect the front side of the poster.  Also on the back of the poster is one small piece of cello tape which wasn’t pulled off.  Overall condition is very good for this very rare vintage original from Joe McCarthy’s first campaign for the U.S. Senate.