Hoosier Horse Sense: An Examination of the Effects of Material Culture on Political Power Through Earl F. Landgrebe

Level of Education of Students Involved

Undergraduate

Faculty Sponsor

Gretchen Buggeln and Edward Upton

College

Christ College (CC)

Discipline(s)

Material Culture, Humanities, Political Science

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Symposium Date

Spring 4-30-2026

Abstract

Behind every political leader stands an array of material goods that act as vessels of symbolic authority. This paper examines one such object — a crystal water pitcher belonging to Earl F. Landgrebe, who represented Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District during the 91st through 93rd sessions of Congress — as a case study in the material culture of political power. Born into a modest agricultural family, Earl F. Landgrebe rose through the ranks of local Valparaiso, Indiana, politics to become a staunch defender of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. His crystal water pitcher, crafted from crystal and etched with a modified version of the U.S. House seal, embodies the illusion of political legitimacy through both its material composition and its aesthetic embellishments. By situating this object within the broader context of political material culture, this paper explores how the physical properties and visual qualities of political artifacts help to naturalize and reinforce authority within democratic systems. Comparative examples, including other congressional pitchers of the period and contemporary political symbols, reveal a recurring dynamic in which material objects both authenticate and amplify perceived power. Ultimately, this analysis points toward a larger, more troubling pattern: while objects like Landgrebe’s pitcher help officials internalize their roles and connect with institutional authority, they also risk creating a feedback loop where perceived power eclipses genuine, constitutionally granted authority. In the current political climate, Landgrebe’s pitcher — offering what he might have called a touch of “Hoosier horse sense” — serves as a reminder that political authority is as fragile as the materials used to represent it.

Biographical Information about Author(s)

Jack Hull is a second year Geography major from Western Spring, Illinois.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS