In addition to the ballroom, a revised and expanded section highlights the evolution of gubernatorial elections and political campaigns. A glass ballot box, an 1868 Republican Party ballot and other objects illustrate some differences between past and present election processes. The exhibit s reproduced Whig Party banner from 1840 serves as a backdrop for a myriad of campaign buttons, posters and memorabilia. A radio microphone, ca. 1945 to 1965, from WPTF in Raleigh indicates a time when the popularity of radio forced candidates to pay careful attention to not just what they said, but how they sounded.
Personal items reveal the many dimensions of first family life.
Of special interest are a 1737 Bible owned by Richard Caswell North Carolina s first governor after independence and a cloth doll enjoyed by his daughter, Anna. Other treasures include a ca. Gov. William B. Umstead played at his inaugural ball. Numerous candid photographs illustrate the daily lives and official duties of first families. The images capture moments ranging from Gov. Bob Scott sharing a laugh with his mother, Mary White Scott, to Gov. and Mrs. J.C.B. Ehringhaus posing with their airplane pilot.