Button History
• Buttons are as old as clothes are
• In prehistorical times they were created from stone, pottery, gade-stone, jet, bone, wood, flint, shell, horn, ivory or gold
• Even up until the Ancient Egyptian period buttons were used for decoration and ornamentation,
rather than utilitarian, as clothes were loose and free flowing
• During the Crusades (11th - 13th century) the art of making buttons was imported from the North East
• Functional buttons first appeared in Germany in the 13th century
• In the 14th century women started to accentuate their waist with the help of buttons
• During the Renaissance period (16th century) buttons began to decorate hats, shirts, sleeves and jackets of wealthy ladies and gentlemen. The rich wore buttons decorated with silver, gold, enamel, pearls, diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Lower classes wore buttons of bone, wood, tin, copper, bronze, leather and glass
• Buttons became mass produced in 1700's England
• Picture buttons became popular depicting children's fables, plays, operas, flowers and birds
• During the 1920s and 1930s wooden buttons were popular
• From the 40s and 50s glass became more predominant
• The 1960s metal combined with plastics emerged
Button Facts
Sources: Button Country, Wikipedia, Antique Buttons, The Redhead Riter
• The word 'button' comes from the French 'bouton' meaning bud or knob
• The word 'button' comes from the French 'bouton' meaning bud or knob
• The world's oldest button is over 5,000 years old found at Mohenjo-daro in the Indus Valley (modern day Pakistan)
• There are more than 50 different names for the attachment feature of a button
• Button lockets were used by British and US military during both World Wars to store working compasses
• The world's most expensive button, made of diamond attached to a pair of jeans, values over $4,000
• There are more than 50 different names for the attachment feature of a button
• Button lockets were used by British and US military during both World Wars to store working compasses
• The world's most expensive button, made of diamond attached to a pair of jeans, values over $4,000
• The biggest button collection in the world is owned by Uday Ghanashyam Roge, from Maharashtra, who owns 1,00,114 buttons
• The largest button in the world can be found in the Garment District of New York. The sculpture is over 14 foot squared
• Steve Jobs had a fear of buttons prompting him to create the iPhone
Duttons for Buttons
http://www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk
I will be visiting Duttons for Buttons in Ilkley for my planned trip tomorrow morning, so in anticipation I want to do some research about the shop itself and the family who run it:
• Duttons for Buttons began as a Trimming Merchants in Leeds in 1906 but due to the Second World War had to expand their interests. Buttons were always of interests due to their "splendour and variety" and the firm relocated to Harrogate
• The shop is family-owned and after the death of Abe Goodman, the Grandfather, the business was then inherited by Drusilla White. She travelled far and wide in search of exotic and unusual buttons. With the recent passing of Drusilla, the company has been inherited by her daughter Deborah
• There are now three Duttons for Buttons shops - located in Ilkley, Harrogate and York
• Duttons for Buttons boasts over 12,000 designs of buttons with the biggest collection in Britain and Europe
• Buttons from the store have appeared in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Evita and Captain Corelli's Mandolin
• Ribbon, wool, thread and haberdashery accessories are also sold to crafters who may need these items along with their buttons
• Prices range from 12p to £25 for a button
Design a Bag
http://www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk/html/design_a_bag-.html
• Duttons are environmentally conscious and to celebrate the recent 60th birthday of the Harrogate store, a 'design a bag' activity has been introduced to customers - inviting people to create their very own button heart design on a reusable hessian bag that can be purchased from their shops. Anyone who takes a picture of their creation has their image added to the gallery the website!
Like most businesses, Duttons have concerns for the environment. However, where we have an advantage, is that our exclusive buttons and associated haberdashery products are almost naturally environmentally friendly because they are bought to be used. Precious little remains to be thrown away. We try to ensure all our packaged products use the minimum of synthetic packaging, and if you need a bag for your buttons when you visit our shop, our paper bags are all recyclable. We have just introduced a reusable hessian bag for your shopping needs when out and about in town. However, we think our bag is unique, because, aside from being reusable, it encourages our customers to make use of their old buttons rather than throw them away!
Triple Anniversary for Specialist Button Retailer
http://www.harrogate-news.co.uk/2016/11/03/triple-anniversary-specialist-button-retailer/
• Duttons for Buttons featured in the Harrogate News for their triple anniversary recently - celebrating 110 years since the company began as a trimming merchant in Leeds, their 60th year as a specialist button shop in Harrogate and their 40th year in York.
The article details the history of the store as well as quotes from current owner, Deborah - the granddaughter of original owner Abe Goodman.
"Duttons for Buttons has built a remarkable reputation and is held in great affection nationwide by those who sew. Our York branch is currently a finalist in the Best Independent Haberdashery Shop (North of England) category of the 2016 British Sewing Awards, which is fantastic recognition for us during such a special year."
I will be visiting Duttons for Buttons in Ilkley for my planned trip tomorrow morning, so in anticipation I want to do some research about the shop itself and the family who run it:
• Duttons for Buttons began as a Trimming Merchants in Leeds in 1906 but due to the Second World War had to expand their interests. Buttons were always of interests due to their "splendour and variety" and the firm relocated to Harrogate
• The shop is family-owned and after the death of Abe Goodman, the Grandfather, the business was then inherited by Drusilla White. She travelled far and wide in search of exotic and unusual buttons. With the recent passing of Drusilla, the company has been inherited by her daughter Deborah
• There are now three Duttons for Buttons shops - located in Ilkley, Harrogate and York
• Duttons for Buttons boasts over 12,000 designs of buttons with the biggest collection in Britain and Europe
• Buttons from the store have appeared in films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Evita and Captain Corelli's Mandolin
• Ribbon, wool, thread and haberdashery accessories are also sold to crafters who may need these items along with their buttons
• Prices range from 12p to £25 for a button
Design a Bag
http://www.duttonsforbuttons.co.uk/html/design_a_bag-.html
• Duttons are environmentally conscious and to celebrate the recent 60th birthday of the Harrogate store, a 'design a bag' activity has been introduced to customers - inviting people to create their very own button heart design on a reusable hessian bag that can be purchased from their shops. Anyone who takes a picture of their creation has their image added to the gallery the website!
Like most businesses, Duttons have concerns for the environment. However, where we have an advantage, is that our exclusive buttons and associated haberdashery products are almost naturally environmentally friendly because they are bought to be used. Precious little remains to be thrown away. We try to ensure all our packaged products use the minimum of synthetic packaging, and if you need a bag for your buttons when you visit our shop, our paper bags are all recyclable. We have just introduced a reusable hessian bag for your shopping needs when out and about in town. However, we think our bag is unique, because, aside from being reusable, it encourages our customers to make use of their old buttons rather than throw them away!
Triple Anniversary for Specialist Button Retailer
http://www.harrogate-news.co.uk/2016/11/03/triple-anniversary-specialist-button-retailer/
• Duttons for Buttons featured in the Harrogate News for their triple anniversary recently - celebrating 110 years since the company began as a trimming merchant in Leeds, their 60th year as a specialist button shop in Harrogate and their 40th year in York.
The article details the history of the store as well as quotes from current owner, Deborah - the granddaughter of original owner Abe Goodman.
"Duttons for Buttons has built a remarkable reputation and is held in great affection nationwide by those who sew. Our York branch is currently a finalist in the Best Independent Haberdashery Shop (North of England) category of the 2016 British Sewing Awards, which is fantastic recognition for us during such a special year."
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