New finds:

A full card of “boiling buttons’ “expressly for Richall” late 1940s-early 1950s.

1966.

late 1940s-early1950s.

This card has an identical design to the ‘Goodura’ brand for a good reason. ‘Challenge Brand’ was a line of clothing produced by D. & W. Murray Ltd. who merged with Goode, Durrant & Company in 1934. The buttons must have been produced just before and after the merger.

Carol has some new KKK’s, red versions of those we’ve seen before;

 which is timely as I just found this picture from a 1939 knitting pattern with 3 koala buttons.

The Sun (Sydney) 26th March 1939.

I’ve received some Beutron kiddie cards. There is some damage, but I’m glad to have them.

Even more from the archives:

Precision Pressed Metal Company Ltd:

This company started in Gawler in 1939. During the war it was turning out Defence buttons, military hardware and steel helmets. In 1945 it was sold to James Robert Holden (of the famous Holden motor car family) and moved to  350 Port Road, Beverley. It was still going in 1954.

J. R. Holden

Bunyip, 25th May 1945.

Design application from 1948.

More from the archives:

Haim Slavin was born in Minsk, Russia in 1879 and came to Australia in 1929. As shown above, he lived at 297 Rae Street, North Fitzroy. Curiously, for some-one styling himself as ‘Pearlbutton Manufacturing Company’, he was trying to register a design for a wooden button in 1933. Also, he did not include his full name, just “H. Slavin”, which prompted the registrar to write and request him to do it properly. Presumably he did not, as the design application was abandoned. Perhaps Haim had found out that his company name was already in use by a firm in Sydney? Perhaps it was all too hard?

Last year we visited the National Archives office in the Old Parliment House in Canberra. The OPH is a beautiful building, full of historical interest. I highly recommend a visit. I accessed archives related to button design in the archives and was given permission to photograph them. ( NB: Not all of these designs were successfully registered for various technical/legal reasons.)

Below are some designed submitted by Anna Louise Alma in the years 1947-49. Her mark is stamped onto the button backs.

An example from a newspaper advertisment for the above design.

An example of the above design.

Perhaps some of you have examples of these buttons in your collections. Please share photos if you can!

New finds:

White metal 1960s beutron buttons:

1976 Maxart buttons:

Boil Proof Buttons:

These  cards are 6x9cm. The design of leaves and vines are the same as those found on the larger (14x21cm) cards labelled “plastic buttons” that were on some examples labelled “A GP Product”. Possibly the unlabelled cards are dated from pre-October 1941, when O. C. Rheuben was renamed General Plastics, and the “GP” labelled cards afterwards.

The yellow buttons are also found on Embassy cards from the late 1940s onwards (GP supplied Embassy with buttons). The red buttons are also found on early Beauclaire cards.

I am guessing that the ‘Boil Proof’ cards date from the 1940s before the Beauclaire branding was used.

Please note the new address of this blog: austbuttonhistory.com

Another mystery solved!

A partial  ‘Modern Miss’ card of yellow buttons arrived today, and the buttons are a match for those on a ‘Exclusive Buttons’ card!

It seems that ‘Exclusive Buttons’ were, just like ‘Modern Miss’, a product of General Plastics, or its predecessor, O.C. Reuben P/L, which was producing casein buttons from the 1930s.

 Tailor’s button:

Chapman & Rogers, Adelaide:

George Chapman (1847-1928) came to south Australia as a two year old in 1849. In 1861 he was apprenticed as a tailor. he later worked for Shierlaw & Co. In 1892 he went into business with Charles Rogers at 117 Gawler Place. The partnership lasted until 1918 when he continued with his son. George was very keen sportsman, particularly football, cricket and swimming.

The Advertiser, 20th July 1926.

News 30th December 1927.

His son, George W. Chapman, was also a sportsman, with a love of baseball.

The Advertiser, 1933. G. W. Chapman

New finds:

Pearl buttons from the 1950s and current.

Beutron (early 1960s) Embassy (late 1960s and early 1970s).

I’m so excited … I just bought a suitcase of old buttons … there are about 10 of the beutron Kiddie cards in there! Not in perfect condition, but I can’t wait until they arrive!