Please note: the new address for this blog is austbuttonhistory.com
New Beauclaire finds from 1950:
Arthur de Ramon Penfold. 1934
Mr A. R. Penfold, an industrial engineer, was the curator of the Sydney Technological Museum from 1927 til 1955. In 1934 the museum held Australia’s first plastics exhibition. It became the basis for the collection now in the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences. In 1950 General Plastics Ltd. donated display boards to the collection, ( See https://collection.maas.museum/object/241720).
I have now found some examples that match those sample boards:
General Plastics sample board of casein buttons.
General Plastics sample board of boilproof buttons.
Pearlised yellow/gold version seen online.
I had a lovely time viewing the MAAS site. What a wonderful man was Mr Penfold, with great foresight to gather information and products for the museum and that General Plastics donated their travellers/display cards. Such a great historical record so we can date and verify manufacturers for buttons in our collection.