By Donna Weinberg, Button Society Publicity Chair
History. Art. Fashion. Geography. How can clothing buttons stimulate research in any of these fields? History, what kinds of buttons were used first? Jewelers created some of the most beautiful buttons with silver, gold, and precious stones. Buttons have been important in fashion design for many years. Some parts of the world lead the way in glass button manufacturing. Art is engaged in designing the molds used to make early glass buttons. Skilled workers created dies for the many stamped metal buttons. Buttons come from all around the world and reflect many cultures and materials.
A group of people dedicated to researching and classifying old clothing buttons is the Michigan Button Society. We would like to introduce you to some of our favorites at the society’s upcoming Fall Button Show to be held October 1 and 2, 2022 at the Four Points Sheraton on Cork Street. Friday is dedicated to judging the many cards of buttons people have spent hours creating just for competition. Saturday showroom hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Sunday the showroom hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come see the exhibits and what our dealers have to offer.
Southwest Button Box Club members meet on the second Saturday of the month at the Main Street Pub in Vicksburg. Most members live nearby, but some people drive an hour to get to the meetings in Vicksburg where they enjoy fellowship and learn more about buttons. Our discussions revolve around materials, working methods and button lore. Sometimes we challenge ourselves to try our hands at button making or creative displays with our buttons. We have tried our hands at making pottery buttons with Lisa Beams with immense success in designing a pottery celery-shaped button for the Michigan 2022 Spring Show.
There are clubs in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Lapeer, Port Austin, and a group that travels to points in Michigan and Northern Indiana. Please feel free to contact Donna Weinberg, publicity chair, at mibuttonpublicity@gmail.com for information on local meetings around our state.