Cane collector Lou Grumet acquired a number of antique canes related to iconic American leaders, and then broadened his collection by commissioning Baltimore carver Pat Harris to create figural canes of additional American icons. This cane depicts Susan B. Anthony, the prominent leader of the women's suffrage movement.

Following the Civil War, the movement for women's suffrage, along with the push to grant former male slaves the right to vote, became widespread, eventually culminating in two constitutional amendments. A number of women used canes to advertise their cause in the manner of previous presidential candidates. This example is a small pewter women's cane, probably waved by supporters at rallies.

Thomas Nast was the leading political cartoonist of the Gilded Age, and had an enormous influence on American imagery. He was the creator of the images of the donkey for the Democratic Party, and the elephant for the Republicans. He identified the elephant as early as 1874 as symbolic of the Republican strength and intelligence. In 1888, small canes with elephants were handed out at the Republican Convention and other rallying points for supporters of Benjamin Harrison. This cane is representative of that type.

This Benjamin Harrison cane has a standard pewter head that was typical of campaign canes of the late nineteenth century.

Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of former president William Henry Harrison. An anti-Harrison campaign song used by his opponent, Grover Cleveland, claimed: "His head is not big enough for his grandfather's hat." Cleveland won the popular vote, but Harrison won the Electoral College. This cane demonstrates that the labor movement, prior to William Jennings Bryan, was mainly Republican in its politics, and was strongly supportive of pro-tariff candidates. The cane is covered with campaign style poster-like paper and employs patriotic themes and colors.

This is one of three Cleveland canes in the Grumet collection. The head resembles a campaign button in a pewter frame.

Grover Cleveland was the only president to be elected to two non-consecutive terms. Cleveland was the Governor of New York before he was elected, and had been elected Sheriff of Erie County, Mayor of Buffalo, and Governor in four years. He was the only Democrat between Lincoln and Wilson, with the Republicans still running on the Civil War based refusal to elect Democrats. Cleveland was also uniquely one of two presidents to have been partners in the same Buffalo law firm, the other being Millard Fillmore. As a pro-business Democrat, he favored the gold standard and vetoed many war veteran pension bills. This cane is one of three Cleveland canes in the Grumet collection. It has a pewter head, and features his mustache and abundant hair.

James Garfield was one of the smartest generals to come out of Ohio during the Civil War. He was committed to anti-slavery activities, taught college, and was an articulate spokesman for the rights of black Americans. He was a surprise choice for the presidency. When he won, he seemed committed to reducing the spoils system of political appointment. He was assassinated by a disappointed officer seeker, who believed he had been denied an appointment promised during the campaign. The cane was a widely distributed campaign piece given to supporters. The pewter head was a common style, used by many presidential candidates during the period.

General Ulysses S. Grant was the winning general in the Civil War, and the most popular man in America when he ran for president in 1868. He was well funded, and his campaign was the first to widely distribute canes as souvenirs to supporters. This cane is topped by a steel likeness of the General. An Ohio native, he appointed many from his home state to key posts in his administration, establishing the foundation for an Ohio dynasty that remained in control of the presidential nominating process until Franklin D. Roosevelt, with a few exceptions. During the decades in between, there was seldom a major party ticket for president or vice president that did not have one of the two candidates from Ohio. It is interesting to note that the other candidate in either party was usually from New York. The two states kept their hegemony until 1952.