Category: Uncategorized

Just memories of the 1940s and 50s these fabric covered buttons and buckles were ordered at the Haberdashery store with left over fabrics of a home made dress. I can’t remember where I got them from but think they make a good display of buttons of that era. The other option was to buy complimentary coloured plastic buttons and buckle which were readily available. It is interesting to compare the different fabrics with those of today.

This is a button advertisement from the Women’s Weekly ,1952 put out by Beutron Buttons. I have attached an original Beutron card and also some individual buttons the same as the photo. They are all plastic and a couple with metalized plastic border. It is nice to have the advertisement from that period.

Here are a few Coco Chanel fashion buttons. They are only plastic and certainly not beautiful but they represent part of the fashion of the period. She is represented by two back to back “Cs” I do not know if any fancier buttons were produced for her brand.

This metal picture button depicts two children sitting on a wall looking at snails. They are characters from a poem written and illustrated by Kate Greenaway in England. It is called Miss Patty and Master Paul. She had several books published in the late 1800s. This particular drawing was from her book “Under the Window” There were several buttons made during this time depicting her characters. One set of four were also made showing the four seasons.

I was thrilled to find this button of mine featured on a garment in a photo in a National Button Bulletin a few years ago. The garment is a three piece silk suit from 1900 – 1906 in an ecru colour. The button shows a few flowers and the scrolly lines of the Art Nouveau period are in green edged in gold. It is quite pretty.

Here are some fabric covered buttons with matching buckle in a floral design. A home dressmaker probably made them to match a dress she was making. They may have been shop made with the left over pieces of fabric. It was a common thing to do back in the 1940s and 1950s.

Here are three more Celluloid Back buttons each in neutral shades. The metal work varies greatly making them quite different. I wonder what type of garment these buttons were used on? They couldn’t be washed as they have cardboard inside so would have to be removed for that purpose. I guess the garments back then were not washed very often, maybe just sponge cleaned.

Here are three Celluloid Back or Victorian Celluloid buttons from my collection. I like this type of button both for the varying colours and textures of the celluloid and also for the different metal surrounds. They have a japanned back and metal loop shank.

Here is a group of Lithograph buttons each having a portrait; all men bar one. They have various borders giving them a different look. I have had these buttons for quite some time and now have a few more in my collection.

These ceramic buttons were made in South Africa under the name Incomparable. They are animals made in a very simplistic way and that is their charm. I guess they would be more suitable for a craft project than for a garment and are just a bit of fun.