CLEVELAND, Ohio -- During the 1924 and 1936 Republic National Conventions, an array of advertisements in The Plain Dealer used political themes. Today they reveal bits of Cleveland history that take us back in time.

The political contest in Cleveland in 1936 was noteworthy because Gov. Alf Landon of Kansas was squaring off against Sen. William Borah of Idaho for the GOP nomination.

In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge was already assured of the nomination. What made the convention special that year was the inclusion of women in the election process.

The slides begin with ads from 1936 and follow with ads from 1924.

The Plain Dealer, June 1936

Unconventional ads during the Republican National Conventions of Cleveland's past

This Plain Dealer ad for the Hotel Hollenden displays only the most congenial aspect of the 1936 RNC. An anthropomorphic building extends a hand in greeting to the Republican party's representation in the form of an elephant.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

Crackerjack journalists

In 1936, The Plain Dealer supplied "unprecedented coverage" by a "staff of news hawks, writers and picture-getters." This front page ad told readers to expect stories from Washington bureau staffers, the state political reporter, local photographers and journalists, as well as a convention cartoonist.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

America's convention city

Advertisers, including this billboard operator, bought space in the pages of The Plain Dealer during the 1936 RNC. Bits of Cleveland history are revealed in the ads that follow.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

Cleveland-made trucks and buses 'are shipped to the four corners of the world'

The Streamline Moderne influence is seen in the styling of vehicles illustrated in an ad run by The White Motor Co. The company extended an invitation for visitors to Cleveland to tour its facilities, and boasted of being "the largest exclusive manufacturer of trucks and buses."

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

More pep in the tank

Blue Flash gasoline might not be a familiar name, but Lubrizol, headquartered in Wickliffe, Ohio, was responsible for the fuel additive that made it "solvenized." The gasoline ad displays a pep-steppin' elephant for the 1936 RNC.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

Nation's smartest heads

Advertising writers had fun with ads during the 1936 convention. In this case, a copywriter for the Higbee Co. department store came up with "The Nation's 'Smartest Heads' cast their STRAW VOTE!" The ad for straw hats appears next to images of vacation luggage.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

Predicting the election outcome?

Chin's restaurant lists a free tea-leaf reading in this ad meant to attract RNC attendees.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

Our country is safe ...

The copywriter for the Kelley Island Lime & Transport Co. indicates faith in the two-party system: "with each stimulating and checkmating the other ... future progress is assured."

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

The other parties ...

Visitors and Clevelanders didn't have to go to Public Auditorium to join a grand party. Night clubs let you know where to enjoy time as a dancer or a spectator.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

'All they are saying is give peace a chance'

The National Peace Conference advertised a wish list including "control of the munitions industry ... to take the profit out of war and the preparation for war."

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

'Visit your favorite radio dealer'

The Arnold Wholesale Corporation on Detroit Avenue was hawking radios with the slogan, "Be All Set for the Republican National Convention, June 9th".

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The Plain Dealer, June 1936

From a personal shopper to a carousel

The May Co.'s lengthy ad detailed the department store's many services, including a personal shopper, a library, religious goods, a merry-go-round in a kid’s play area, and a travel bureau. Graphic elements on the page reflected the RNC, with an elephant pictured on the left and delegate state signs on the right.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Hear it on the radio -- in a theater

When commercial radio was young enough to be a novelty not yet found in every home, the May Co. carried the radio broadcast of 1924 convention speakers in its third-floor auditorium for political-minded consumers. The words "Come and go as you wish" in the ad strongly suggest doing a bit of shopping instead of just sitting in the auditorium the whole time.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

GOP invite: Visit Regnatz before you leave Cleveland

Born in Austria-Hungary, Carolina Regnatz came to the United States in 1906. According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, she ran a catering business that provided meals for the Cleveland Air Races, World War I doughboys, and John Carroll University as well as the Cleveland News cafeteria. This ad is for two of the restaurants Regnatz opened during the 1920s on Warren Road in Lakewood.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Protect your clothes and health!

Probably the only group of people hoping for rain during the convention would have been the staff of Lowe's Umbrella Shop. Their ad gave a nod to the GOP.

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The Plain Dealer, June1924

Seiberling All-Tread Tire Company rolls with the pachyderms

What did one elephant say to the other?

"My vote goes to Seiberling All-Treads"

The Seiberling name is synonymous with the tire industry, and in 1924 this ad may have helped their semi-new company gain traction against the competition.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

You'll like your trip to Cleveland better ...

Ah, ads for baseball and burlesque.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

A less racy entertainment option ...

Orchestral and band music were tamer than some other choices for nightlife.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Cruise the lake to the falls

Built in 1913, the steamer Seeandbee transported passengers between Buffalo and Cleveland. This ad offered a trip to Niagara Falls for convention-goers.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Selling art for Silent Cal

These ladies were walking advertisements for their candidate during the 1924 RNC.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Not just pens, they're candidates

Even national companies bought Plain Dealer ads during the 1924 RNC and referenced politics to sell products. Check out this youtube video to see a review of the Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen number 52, the lower pen shown above.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Pens part 2: They're presidential

The Waterman's pen ad -- so large we broke it into two parts -- went on to claim: Grant wrote his memoirs with a Waterman's Ideal Fountain Pen ... practically every President of the United States since 1884, including Cleveland, McKinley and Wilson has used it ...

Waterman's pens are considered collectibles.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Halle's personal services

Personal services were the draw used by the Halle Bros. Co., the department store known simply as Halle's. This was just the introduction in a lengthy ad they ran in 1924.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

RNC remembrances at Halle's

Large downtown department stores used newspaper ads to lure convention visitors. Halle's, located not far from the RNC action, was no exception.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Not ignoring the elephant in the room

How did Halle's get elephants on the sixth floor? By shipment.

The miniature bronze souvenirs were among several RNC-related items available.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

With politics come peignoirs

The Halle's ad included this little excerpt for a $45 negligee. Today's value exceeds $600, according to the inflation calculator.

Wonder what a marabou is? It is a stork that resembles a buzzard.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Steps toward inclusion

Only four years after women gained the right to vote, this drawing in The Plain Dealer shows women sharing in the electoral process in 1924. It was the first GOP convention with female delegates.

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The Plain Dealer, June 1924

Every individual is part of Cleveland's welcoming committee

Maybe Alva Bradley's words are needed more today than they were in 1924. During the RNC, Bradley -- the businessman and Cleveland Indians owner who was chairman of the convention's entertainment committee -- requested that Clevelanders go out of their way to connect with visitors.