1880 Political Handkerchief

Q: I’m a New York City firefighter and am working on my family tree as a kind of therapy. Part of my research involves finding out what, where, when and how things came into my family. My grandmother was born in Manhattan in 1880. Among the items she left is a red 21-by-19-inch patriotic handkerchief. It’s decorated with red, white and blue U.S. shields and eagles. In the center are two black and white portraits, one ‘Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, Democratic Nominee for President, 1880,’ and the other ‘Hon. William H. English, Democratic Nominee for Vice President, 1880.’ The manufacturer’s name is printed in the bottom right corner: S.H. Greene & Sons, Washington.