Not to be overlooked as assets to fabrics of all ages are decorations which enhance them. And what is more alluring than buttons which reach out to be touched and admired, whether on a garment or store shelf. Caution, once you touch them, addiction begins. Ask any button collector. Buttons are like snowflakes, the variety and patterns are endless. No one can say for sure why our fascination with them; every collector has a personal story.
Aside from their purpose as a fastener, buttons are prized possessions; some entered in competition, framed for display, used as charm bracelets containing 999 buttons which wait for the suitor to add the #1,000 and the ultimate being a Texas collector who built a dollhouse using her collection of 7,000 buttons! The word button originates from the French bouton, a small piece of metal or other material used to connect different parts of garment by means of a buttonhole and used also for ornamentation.
It is thought the button originated in 2000 BC in southern Asia around the Indus Valley region to be used as a decoration while pins and belts served as fasteners. These buttons were seashells carved into various geometrical shapes and pierced with two holes for attaching. Early Greeks and Romans used shell, and wood buttons, sometimes attaching them to pins; other early European ruins unearthed buttons of ivory, bone, jeweled, gold and silver. It wasn’t until sometime in the 13th century that the idea of a buttonhole and button was conceived.
Here are a few notable dates in the button hall of fame: *1200s Western Europe – tighter fitting clothing and more delicate fabrics required less harmful closings than pins which led to the modern, functional button.
*1300s-1400s — Button mania ensued with excesses of buttonholes covering nearly every inch of garments. Peaked by 15th century when jeweled and gold buttons returned as decorations.
*1500s – Handmade covered buttons popular during Elizabethan era.
*1520 – King Francis I of France ordered 13,400 gold buttons to fasten a black velvet suit for his meeting with Henry VII of England about an alliance. Henry himself was just as vain and button bedecked.
*1600s – Diamond buttons were desirable. The First Duke of Buckingham had a suit and cloak covered with them around 1625. King Louis XIV of France spent $600,0000 in one year on his buttons and a mere $5 million on them during his lifetime! *1700s – Richly embroidered buttons were made over wood molds and fastened at back with criss-crossed coarse threads. Popular for men’s coats and waistcoats.
Mid to end of century tended toward bigger buttons and a return to metallic, especially crucible steel for men’s fashions. Buttons are like snowflakes, the variety and patterns are endless. No one can say for sure why our fascination with them; every collector has a personal story. Aside from their purpose as a fastener, buttons are prized possessions; some entered in competition, framed for display, used as charm bracelets containing 999 buttons which wait for the suitor to add the #1,000 and the ultimate being a Texas collector who built a dollhouse using her collection of 7,000 buttons! The word button originates from the French bouton, a small piece of metal or other material used to connect different parts of garment by means of a buttonhole and used also for ornamentation.
It is thought the button originated in 2000 BC in southern Asia around the Indus Valley region to be used as a decoration while pins and belts served as fasteners. These buttons were seashells carved into various geometrical shapes and pierced with two holes for attaching.
Early Greeks and Romans used shell, and wood buttons, sometimes attaching them to pins; other early European ruins unearthed buttons of ivory, bone, jeweled, gold and silver. It wasn’t until sometime in the 13th century that the idea of a buttonhole and button was conceived. Here are a few notable dates in the button hall of fame: *1200s Western Europe – tighter fitting clothing and more delicate fabrics required less harmful closings than pins which led to the modern, functional button.
*1300s-1400s — Button mania ensued with excesses of buttonholes covering nearly every inch of garments. Peaked by 15th century when jeweled and gold buttons returned as decorations.
*1500s – Handmade covered buttons popular during Elizabethan era.
*1520 – King Francis I of France ordered 13,400 gold buttons to fasten a black velvet suit for his meeting with Henry VII of England about an alliance. Henry himself was just as vain and button bedecked.
*1600s – Diamond buttons were desirable. The First Duke of Buckingham had a suit and cloak covered with them around 1625. King Louis XIV of France spent $600,0000 in one year on his buttons and a mere $5 million on them during his lifetime! *1700s – Richly embroidered buttons were made over wood molds and fastened at back with criss-crossed coarse threads.
Popular for men’s coats and waistcoats. Mid to end of century tended toward bigger buttons and a return to metallic, especially crucible steel for men’s fashions.
*1802 – Abel Porter & Co. established in New England to make metal buttons as imported ones were scarce and expensive. First were cast of soft metal but the wire thread quickly wore through soft metal eye. Problem was eliminated when Porter cast brass wire loops in buttons. Firm later became Scovill Mfg. Co. and famous for making a set of solid gold buttons bearing profile of George Washington in relief and which was presented to Marquis de Lafayette during his visit to this country in 1824.
Framed buttons make attractive wall displays. Top are early 1900s crystal buttons from salesman’s swatch card which are attached to turn-of-century Austrian crystal seed bead “stems”. Below are same vintage glass buttons and buckles shown with 1920s 22 kt. gold-plated buttons.
460 BC — Ornamental button decorates a pin fastener on Spartan warrior’s cape.
– Costumes and Styles
14 C – Buttons galore on a cotehardie during this period of button mania.
– The Mode in Costume
1760 gents loved buttons; this age was known as the rebellion in men’s minds and fashion. Costume & Fashion Some of the many 18c buttons available; painted were very popular.
– The Book of Costume Vol. II
Cloth-covered buttons from Edwardian era.
Written on back of blue card is “buttons from Aunt Doris’ 1902 summer dress.” Buttons at bottom are from lawn blouse sleeve. Note covered zinc buttons.
cWWI decorative buttons – crochet and jet and black glass. Buttons at top right and bottom left are glass.
*1890s – Edwardian laundry buttons and button ad from McCall’s June 1912.
*1802 — Earliest known machine-covered button made by B. Sanders of Birmingham, England.
Had metal shank but was shortly replaced by a piece of tufted canvas through which button could be sewn to garment. Thus was created the flexible shank button. A later improvement was covering back of silk-fronted buttons also with silk.
*1840 – Porcelain buttons invented.
*1841 – Threefold linen buttons introduced by John Ashton.
*1848 – First manufactured buttons in USA by Samuel Williston in Easthampton MA.
Other factories followed in Waterbury CN, Philadelphia and New York. Tedious and expensive operation as button was solid piece of metal upon which an engraver carved designs. Later the press, stamp and engine for turning moulds were invented. To reduce cost, animal bones and hoofs were introduced. Williston eventually made buttons for half the world.
*1860 – Johann Hille in Hainspach Austria found a use for discarded ivory nuts from South America.
He carved them into buttons and laboriously handcolored them. They were a hit in Vienna and the vegetable ivory button business was born. Herman Donath of Schmolln, Germany turned from carving ivory umbrella handles to manufacturing these buttons and Schmolln became the center of the ivory button industry.
*1862 — First vegetable ivory factory established in England.
*1864 — First vegetable ivory factory established in Leeds, MA, the Mill River Button Company.
*1867 – First vegetable ivory button factory established near Berlin, Ontario, Canada.
*1869 – Celluloid buttons, the very first plastic, debut.
Later, many Art Nouveau and Art Deco would be made of this substance.
*Post-WWI era – Before the Great War, most buttonmaking was centered in Europe, mainly England, France and Germany. After the war these countries concentrated on restoration of war damage and the manufacturing emphasis shifted to the United States. Serious button collecting began in the 1930s. Today there are thousands of collectors who belong to local, regional and state button clubs, many of which are affiliated with the National Button Society. There are annual and seasonal conventions, workshops for advanced study, competition, dating and pricing, care and identification and guidelines for button grading and categories.
It is beyond the scope of this column to detail the entire history of buttons, the many materials used in button- making and how to identify and care for them. But it is hoped your interest and curiosity have been stimulated. It is more than likely that if you are a collector of any sorts, you will have old buttons laying around. If you would like to know more about them, one of the best sites for comprehensive information is www.buttonimages.com which provides all button substances or categories, how to identify your buttons and how to clean and care for them plus links to the National Button Society and a button collector’s dream bibliography. Buttons from our childhood
Different twins – It is apparent this 1930s card design had multiple lives.
Notice the same girl, different coloring, different floral arrangement, not to mention a disappearing manufacturer. Left or Right? Practice of men buttoning right to left and women left to right is thought to have originated during the 15th century. Men generally dressed themselves and as most were righthanded, it was faster to button right to left. Women who could afford buttons had dressing maids and as most were right handed it was more expedient to have a mirror- image reversal. Tailors complied and the custom remains to this day.
1920s – buttons for every family member.
Early plastics: upper LH corner are 1930s celluoid; other buttons date between 1940s-early 1950s.
Novelty buttons – left: 1950s glass cut rose and solid brass; center: 1920s celluloid Crackerjack; 1940s enameled brass and 1950s rhinestone.
1940s mother of pearl on matching crochet trim sold by the yard. Missing is the loop side. Popular for children’s garments.
Bottom row: 1920s shoe buttons; celluloid with glass center, wood round and half round with metal shanks and pins.
Ad in an 1899 Delineator featured buttonhole scissors which are remarkably the same as those manufactured today.
Sources: Hobbies Magazine, November 1938, June 1939, February 1946 Book of Costumes, Vol. II, 1948, Millia Davenport, Antique Trader Price Guide, October 1984 Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, 1987, Charles Panati The arbitrary cut-off date for this Vintage Fabric column is 1960.
To stay within the scope of this timeframe, reference materials published up to that date are the prime source of information to more accurately capture actual thoughts of the time.
Joan Kiplinger is an antique doll costumer and vintage fabric addict who learned to sew on her grandmother’s treadle and has been peddling fabrications ever since.
