Porridge Time button

This antique button is called “Porridge Time”

 Stamped brass applied to a flat, textured brass back, with applied steel star. The button also comes without the star, with the star it is a scarce button

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Jasperware buttons: Marie La Barre-Bennett

Marie La Barre-Bennett, studio button artist

She first made buttons in 1953. She had been a button collector since 1943.

 She used many colors: lavender, green, brown, red, black and white.

 All of her molds were destroyed after her death in 1969

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"The Little Colonel" button

The figure is of silvered brass and is applied to a flat lacquered brass button with engraved wall and archway,etc.

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Annie Fellows Johnston (1863-1931), a celebrated author of children's and juvenile fiction from the 1890's until her death in 1931, is best known for her "Little Colonel" (1895) series, a semi biographical opus of 13 novels dealing with the aristocracy of old Kentucky, particularly the story of a young girl, who came to be known as "The Little Colonel." (The little girl was based upon a real child the author met while on a  visit to Kentucky) Her works sold millions of copies, and were translated into over 40 languages, including Japanese.  

The fame of The Little Colonel peaked in 1935 with the film of the same name starring Shirley Temple & Lionel Barrymore.

 

 

 

U.S. Post Office BUTTONS through the ages

this card was in a collection I acquired, the top left button doesn’t belong on here as it’s a Telegraph Co. button, the top right button this device (image) was adopted as the Seal of the U.S. Post Office in 1837.

 All the buttons are brass

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The story of the United States Postal Service begins in 1775, when the Continental Congress named

Benjamin Franklin the first American Postmaster General. Franklin and his fellow patriots saw a robust

mail system as critical to the nation’s welfare. A healthy postal network facilitated communication among

army commanders and the first elected representatives, and representatives and their constituents;

newspapers sent through the mail enabled Americans to participate in political life. As directed by

Congress, postal officials first extended the mail system geographically, adding mail routes and Post

Offices to embrace communities up and down the coast and then westward, keeping pace with the

traveling frontier. In the mid-1800s, Congress increased access to the mail by simplifying and lowering

letter-postage rates. Later in the century, Congress introduced the convenience that most Americans

now expect – free home delivery of mail, first in the city, then in the country. To check for mail, city

dwellers no longer had to wait in long lines at crowded Post Offices, and farmers no longer had to unhitch

horse from plow and plod five or six miles into town. In 1913, the Post Office Department introduced

Parcel Post – affordable parcel delivery available to all Americans that opened up a new world of mail

order merchandise to many, especially in rural areas

(above information taken from the U.S.P.S. site

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Peacock and Peacock eye buttons

My just for fun card of

Peacock and Peacock eye buttons

Garter/ Flapper buttons

First 2 are real Garter buttons from the 20’s

The faces are printed on silk which is stretched over a metal form fitted with a pad shank for sewing. The buttons were used to decorate the fancy garters for ladies silk stockings.

Second 2 are vintage and made by studio artists

Last 2 are modern laser cut plastic buttons 

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Elephant buttons

Assorted materials, click on image to enlarge

Horse theme buttons

Some of my buttons with horses

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Steel Cup Buttons

These steel cup buttons are all constructed the same way, only the trims inside the cups differ.

 The button itself is a shallow steel cup with a raised rim. A U-shaped steel loop shank is soldered to the back and the various trims are usually riveted in place. 

 On this card of mine the buttons are all medium or large size,  1 inch to 1 3/8

They are from the late 19th century

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Owl buttons

Owl buttons

This is my 3rd place winning tray at National Button show several years ago, judges comments “Very close competition need more variety of materials”

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Child Hugging a Dog and The Peaceable Kingdom..Buttons

When you see  these 2 buttons for sale they are often not correctly titled because they are so similar in design.

Both are antique brass buttons because my larger button shows the lion clearly its not so with the smaller size of the same button

In the Big Book of Buttons (under children) title of first button is  “Child Hugging a Dog”

The second button (under Religious subjects) title “The Peaceable Kingdom” the child is hugging a lion

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Jeanne Hachette French Heroine..button

Jeanne Laisne born 1456 was a French heroine known as Jeanne Fourquet and nicknamed Jeanne Hachette (Jean the Hatchet)
All that she is currently known for is an act of heroism on June 27 1472, when she prevented the capture of Beauvais by the troops of Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. The town was defended by only 300 men-at-arms, commanded by Louis de Balagny.
The Burgundians were making an assault, and one of their members had actually planted a flag upon the battlements, when Jeanne, axe in hand, flung herself upon him, hurled him into the moat, tore down the flag, and revived the drooping courage of the garrison.
                   From Wikipedia
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Santa Domingo Pueblo Indian pottery button

This pottery button is stunning also notice the sterling 4 leaf clover and leaf buttons
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Saint Patrick's Day..buttons

my fun card, click on image to enlarge

State Seals and Motto's on Buttons

  

50 State Seals-click on image to enlarge  

 

The use of seals was brought to America from Europe by the colonists. These were the forerunners of the State Seals today.

Every one of our 50 states has an official seal and their devices are used by them on the uniform buttons of the State Militia. The Militia is the oldest service of our armed forces, going back to the very first year of the colonies.

     Most of the State Seals were adopted in the “Victorian Era”, as a glance at some elaborate designs will reveal. Many of the states obtained their seals only after a bitter debate and they can be altered only by law.  The state seal button device came with use some time after the adoption of the seal.

     Six states use the exact state seal device on their state seal buttons; some alter it somewhat but the seal is still recognizable. Three states do not use any part of the device of the state seal on their state seal buttons. They are Wyoming, South Carolina and Vermont.

     Greatly as State Seal buttons differ in appearance, a study reveals that they have many designs and ideas in common.

 16 quality as heraldic—a shield is the main design

one half show landscapes depicting the surrounding region,

one half give agriculture a place

one third show means of transportation—trains, covered wagons, ships, etc. 

                             Just Buttons magazine Mar-Apr 1978

 

3 pairs ex. large brass antique pictorial buttons

Bellum and Pax, War and Peace. Bellum was a Roman adaptation of the Greek warrior goddess, Athena.

She is shown within a border of laurel and palm, both used to honor those victorious in war.

Pax, or Peace, has a sprig of wheat in her helmet and an olive wreath border, symbols of agriculture
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St. Valentine’s Day legends plus buttons

How did Valentine become the patron saint of lovers?

    According to one legend, in third-century Rome young men did not want to enlist in the army to fight the emperor’s wars. Claudius II ordered young men not to marry, believing if they did not have wives they would be more willing to leave Rome for the battlefield. Moved by compassion for the young men and their sweethearts, Valentine the priest married them secretly.

 

Why do valentine cards end “From Your Valentine”?

     Another legend claims that while Valentine the priest was imprisoned he met the blind daughter of his jailer. He offered prayers for her healing, and the girl’s sight was restored. A friendship was forged. On the night of his death he wrote the girl a farewell message and signed it “From your Valentine”

 

How did cupid come to be associated with St. Valentine’s Day Cards?

    Cupid, represented by a cherub armed with arrows dipped in a love potion, is a figure of Roman mythology. According to those legends, Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love and beauty.

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Happy Valentine's Day

 

Roses

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Legend of the Dogwood with button

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Vanity Set metal, early goofie buttons

 

This is one of the oldest sets of goofies, possibly as early as 1930, made of metal and painted

mirror, perfume atomizer, crossed nail buffer and scissors, crossed comb and brush, powder box, compact and lipstick
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Button Collectors 1948

The National Button Society was formed in 1938

This article on early collectors was in Hobbies Magazine 1948
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Christmas buttons

Card 3 of my fun cards of Christmas buttons
Materials: wood, plastic, metal, enameled brass, ceramic
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Christmas buttons

Card 2 of my fun cards of Christmas buttons
Materials: Plastic, enameled brass, fabric, ceramic, rubber
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Christmas buttons

Card 1 of my fun cards of Christmas buttons
 Materials:ceramic, wood, glass, brass, enameled brass and plastic
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Happy Thanksgiving..Buttons

Happy Thanksgiving..Buttons

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Containers with Fruits and/or Flowers BUTTONS

The buttons are antique and vintage

Materials: metal, celluloid, glass, black glass, ceramic, plastic, metalized plastic, fabric

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Halloween buttons

Happy Halloween
 my just for fun card, majority are plastic buttons. Click on image to enlarge

Victorian white glass buttons 1840’s to early 1900’s

Victorian white glass buttons 1840’s to early 1900’s

On this card they are all opaque white buttons

Among glass buttons the term Victorian is used specifically for those of opaque (or more rarely, transparent) white or colored glass with conventional and floral designs molded in low relief or incised, with paint or luster trim. They typically have four-way or two way metal box shanks.

Pictures other than floral types are unusual. Many have designs of Art Nouveau influence

Click on image to enlarge

Victorian color glass buttons 1840’s to early 1900’s

 

Among glass buttons the term Victorian is used specifically for those of opaque (or more rarely, transparent) white or colored glass with conventional and floral designs molded in low relief or incised, with paint or luster trim. They typically have four-way or two way metal box shanks.

Pictures other than floral types are unusual. Many have designs of Art Nouveau influence
Click on image to enlarge

Western German Glass Buttons

Western German Glass Buttons
these are vintage mid 1950's to early 60's
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18th century mother of pearl button

18th century mother of pearl button

carved with a jeweled pin shank

shank: the “eye” is of flat copper wire and there is a tinned copper collet at the back

 

 

Pearl buttons antique extra large

 Pearl buttons antique extra large, the anchor button is size 2 5/16
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Stork, pearl and brass button

 

A finely detailed, stamped, silvered and pierced design mounted over a carved and pierced pearl background. There is a second bird carved into the pearl background, at right. The steel-set, brass rim is applied over the pearl background.

 

Dragons on brass and pearl antique button

Dragons brass and pearl antique button

One piece brass, pierced and finely detailed. The lower section has a carved and pierced brownish pearl overlay applied with three steels

China calico antique buttons on display card

China calico buttons are dated 1840-1870's
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Russian lacquerware peacock button

Russian lacquerware peacock button
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Moonglow glass buttons

Moonglow glass buttons

Made by a special process from a cane with both clear and opaque, translucent glass throughout its length. When heated and pressed into a mold, it becomes a moonglow if the clear colorless glass “floats” to the top of the button.

They were made in all colors, being a lover of the color purple this is my favorite card

Happy 4th of July.. buttons

Some of my fun red/white and blue buttons
One of the cards show some with a green color they are not all are red,white and blue

Mermaid buttons

There are many versions of the Legends of Lorelei which originated in Germany 
Lorelei is the name of a spirit and the big rock in the Rhine River on which she sits.  Lorelei, the most famous of the Rhine Maidens, is a Siren like mermaid who sits on her rock in the Rhine, combing her long hair and singing.

the poor photo is my feeble attempt  from the deck of the cruise ship

thanks to Annick Le Roux for permission to share her card of mermaid buttons. Materials: pewter, wood, resin, plastic, boxwood, ivory and bone on wood

Statue of Liberty patriotic buttons

Statue of Liberty patriotic buttons 

plastic buttons on original card circa 1940s.

Rose flower buttons

First is brass wild rose 2nd looks like porcelain on brass and last is white metal

these are available in my ecrater button store under the plant life category, pegsbuttons.ecrater.com

Ceramic flower buttons
vintage set of six ceramic with metal loop shank
these are available in my ecrater button store under the plant life category, pegsbuttons.ecrater.com
nicer than the picture shows

Pansies and Violets..buttons

April showers bring May flowers

here is my card I entered in a button show several years ago “Pansies and Violets” I have many different materials and thought my card was worthy of a ribbon..but instead I received a “measle” because in the third row 2nd button (which in the Big Book of Buttons states it’s a pansy) is actually a Hibiscus.

All are antique and vintage buttons
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