National political party conventions have long been an important element in the process of electing a United States president. Conventions are the occasion for parties to declare their presidential nominees, vice-presidential nominees and platforms. Today’s conventions lack the drama they had in the past when delegates argued and negotiated over who their candidates would be. They are now primarily media events giving the parties an opportunity to introduce their candidates to the nation. The photo gallery presented here captures moments from national political party conventions from 1952 to 2004.