Countless people have one or more of them squirreled away in their dressers; so, for all who have wondered about this topic, herein is related the origins of the ubiquitous “Pickle Pin”.
Candid Chats on the Life and Career of the Sixteen-Term Texas Congressman
Countless people have one or more of them squirreled away in their dressers; so, for all who have wondered about this topic, herein is related the origins of the ubiquitous “Pickle Pin”.
Daddy used the little Heinz pickle during the first Congressional campaign in 1963. After that, he bought specially made pickles from Nalle Plastic in Austin. I don’t know what Daddy paid George Nalle, but it wasn’t enough. Pickle Pins were flat on one side, with JAKE embossed on the outer, bumpy side. Trouble was, the raised JAKE had to be painted white to contrast with the green pickle. Also, a fastener had to be affixed to the back side so you could pin it to a shirt or dress.
At first Nalle Plastic did this, but it was time-consuming, so eventually they balked. Thereafter, the campaign staff, family members or other unfortunates got to do the dirty work. It was fun for about five minutes. The pins were sharp and the metal had to be sintered to the plastic. Pickle Pin duty was laborious and resulted in numerous burns and pricks on your hands. Today, it would be called child labor. But as Daddy was fond of saying, “When you use the family talent, you pay the family rate” (nothing).