“Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and . . . moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue,” declared Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater when he accepted the Republican Party’s nomination for president in 1964. Although the Republican ticket was defeated by incumbent Lyndon Baines Johnson, Goldwater’s campaign helped set the stage for the rise of the conservative movement in late twentieth-century America and demonstrate its strength in the South and the West.

This election poster, enhanced only by its large scale and bold “gold” border, is a straightforward presentation of face, name, and voting instructions. It was based on Goldwater’s official campaign photograph, which pictured him with skewed glasses, an appealing touch of imperfection. A similarly bordered format was used for the companion poster depicting his running mate, New York congressman William E. Miller.