Buttonsplus

I love this Celluloid button which is Art Deco style. It looks dramatic with it’s deep greeny/fawn background and black lines. The leaf like shape is all gold glitter so a great contrast. It has a japanned back and measures a little under 3 cm. It would be striking on a garment.

These are modern wooden buttons which I think were made in India. The large round one is carved and has a small brass trim in the centre. The square one is bevelled on the edges with a decorative brass trim and it is set in brass. The small round one is inlaid with pearl and brass. They make quite a nice set.

I like these two buttons of the same design but with different colours. They are both metal with a facetted black glass centre which stands out nicely against the gold and purple or brown colour. They measure a little over 2 1/2 cm and have a metal loop shank.

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.