Examples of Pewabic Buttons. Photo credit: The Idaho State Button Society’s May 2012 publication of the Idaho State Button Bulletin, page 16.
The front (left) and back (right) of a historic Iridescent Pewabic Button from the Pewabic Pottery Museum Collection. Photo credit: Emily Berger.
Encapsulating a place and time
Buttons are more than functional fasteners; they are tiny works of art. They secure our clothing, shield us from the elements, and, for many, spark fascination and inspiration. Once cherished as affordable, collectible gifts during times of hardship, buttons carry stories as rich as any jewelry item. Their intricate designs, crafted on such a small canvas, can showcase remarkable skill and artistry. Each button is a miniature relic, capturing the fashions, craftsmanship, and spirit of the era in which it was made.
From our home state of Michigan to the farthest corners of the globe, button enthusiasts come together to celebrate these tiny works of art. The World Button Association, the National Button Society, and the Michigan Button Society unite scholars, collectors, and admirers into a vibrant community. Across the United States, button clubs in 39 states keep this passion alive through preserving history, sharing knowledge, and finding beauty in the smallest details.
Four Iridescent Pewabic Button replicas created in the year 2000 from the Pewabic Pottery Museum Collection. Photo credit: Emily Berger.
Small in size, vast in history
The first ceramic buttons available for purchase at Pewabic Pottery began in 1924. A significant portion of button and small ceramic objects sales occurred during the Great Depression. Just as we navigate material shortages today, our founders faced their own set of challenges. They had to find a way to create ceramic art amid wartime scarcity and economic hardship. These limited resources became a canvas for ingenuity, proving that artistry can thrive even in the most constrained times.
Pewabic buttons were sold directly at the Pottery building in Detroit, and were also sold on consignment. The studio expanded its reach by selling at various stores, including John Junge in New York City and the Black Horse Inn in Massachusetts. Other forms of wearable art, including pins and jewelry items, were also crafted during this period. Many were made using the same distinctive glazes that made Pewabic’s architectural tile offerings famous across the country.
Small pin and earrings set dating back to the 1940s. Photo credit: Frances Ma.
Various Pewabic buttons from the Pewabic Museum Collection photographed by Emily Berger.
The little things matter
Buttons like these were created during the Great Depression, as the economic climate encouraged consumers to purchase smaller, more “practical” gifts.
Creating despite shortages
As we presently face material shortages in ceramics, our founders were confronted with limited resources during wartime and times of economic hardship.
“During the months following, my developing observation was engaged by items in my immediate surroundings… Then there were buttons. They were all up and down the front of my mother’s dress, down the back of my sister’s apron, on my father’s coat, and seats of the chairs; the world seemed to be full of them.”
— Mary Chase Perry Stratton, Pewabic Co-Founder
Pewabic buttons from the Pewabic Museum Collection photographed by Emily Berger.
1940s advertisement for Pewabic Pottery jewelry, buttons, and pins for sale at John Junge Department Store in New York City. Photo credit: Pewabic Pottery Museum Archives.
Pewabic Co-Founder Mary Chase Perry Stratton. Photo credit: Pewabic Pottery Museum Archives.
In the details, the world unfolds
Pewabic Co-Founder Mary Chase Perry Stratton played a significant role in supporting community-based art education during the Great Depression and World War II. She participated in public outreach efforts, aligning her organization with New Deal initiatives, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Pewabic Pottery collaborated with settlement houses, public schools, and women’s craft cooperatives, promoting ceramic work as a mode of creative expression and income generation. The small size of buttons and their low material cost made them ideal teaching tools and end-products for these programs.
Pewabic manufactured its own buttons at the Pottery and provided materials and kiln access to button-makers, including Helen Babbington. Helen sold a selection of ceramic buttons at Hudson’s that were in high demand at the popular department store.
Detroit Free Press, Sept.15, 1946, pg. 36 featuring Helen Babbington.
It is worth noting the gendered nature of ceramic button production during this time. Sewing and garment embellishment were traditionally viewed as “women’s work”, as a majority of women were included in the aforementioned outreach programs. Women could freely express themselves through this art form within the confines of the roles expected of them. During a time of great national constraint and sacrifice, button craft became a means for many women to discover their inner artist and subvert gendered expectations through that discovery.
Historic Pewabic buttons are highly sought after by button collectors across the United States and appear in nationwide auctions to this day. Pewabic briefly resumed button production in the 1990s following a special request made by the Michigan Button Society, but has since focused its efforts on crafting a small selection of ceramic pins and necklaces.
Three Pewabic buttons from the personal collection of Chris Parham from the Michigan Button Society. Photo credit: Amanda Rogers.
Acknowledgements
We’d like to thank the thorough research conducted by Education Director and Archivist Annie Dennis, Chris Parham and the Michigan Button Society, Simone Kincade and the Idaho State Button Society, and every person who holds a candle for the artistry of button-making. Please contact us if you have any Pewabic buttons in your collection– we’d love to hear from you! Ask us questions in the comments section, or share your affinity for buttons and small adornments.
Education Director and Archivist Annie Dennis and Chris Parham of the Michigan Button Society. Thank you for sharing your glorious collection of buttons with us, Chris!
