Heads of State

Historian Carl Sferezza Anthony has looked at American Presidents from a number of different angles. But when his friends started buying him gag gifts like George Washington soap and a Richard Nixon-shaped candle, he realized that there was an entirely unexplored realm of Presidential history: the ways in which American executives have been portrayed on everyday items. He soon discovered items ranging from a Grover Cleveland seltzer bottle to a Franklin Pierce suspender clip to a William McKinley cane top. His collection is laid out in the new book, "Heads of State."

In this radio diary, Carl Anthony explains the long history of Presidential likenesses showing up on everyday household items.

Guests:

Carl Sferezza Anthony, historian and author of the new book,
Heads of State.