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Original 1933 Washington, D.C. advertising novelty produced for Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first presidential inauguration.
Styled as a grandstand admission ticket for the inaugural procession, the card promises its bearer “ONE GRAND STAND” along Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and Treasury, then turns the whole thing into a joke with instructions including “ROW FRONT (IF LUCKY)” and “GROUP PICK IT CAREFULLY.”
The text continues the gag by noting that the holder may view the procession if he is tall enough.
The reverse advertises E. M. Bryan Company, Inc., a Washington stationer and printer located at 813 13th Street N.W.
Details
Date: 1933
Event: First inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Place: Washington, D.C.
Object: Advertising novelty / faux grandstand ticket
Advertiser: E. M. Bryan Company, Inc.
Address: 813 13th St. N.W., Washington, D.C.
Printing: Black on yellow cardstock
Dimensions: approximately 5 × 1 3/4 inches
Additional Details
Rather than an official admission ticket, this is a clever piece of contemporary inauguration advertising built around a literal “grand stand” joke.
Its references to Pennsylvania Avenue, the Capitol, Treasury, and the inaugural procession firmly place it in Washington during Roosevelt’s March 1933 inauguration.
A particularly fun piece of FDR-era political ephemera with unusually strong period humor and graphic appeal.
Condition
Good vintage condition with age toning, light surface wear, scattered small marks, and minor edge and corner wear. Reverse shows areas of surface loss or adhesive residue. Printing remains strong and fully legible. Please review photographs closely.
Subject
Franklin D. Roosevelt; FDR; presidential inauguration; Washington D.C.; 1933
Topic
Political ephemera; presidential memorabilia; inauguration; advertising; Great Depression era
