Buttons: The Collector's Guide to Selecting, Restoring, and Enjoying New and Vintage Buttons

As a functional accessory and fashion statement, the button has become a miniature masterpiece. Accordingly, a great deal of talent and imagination has been lavished on its appearance and placement. Buttons have always reflected the tastes of the times. They display the shifting movements in fashion, materials, and manufacturing techniques. From the humble to the extravagant, buttons reveal the humor, artistry, and motivation of their makers and wearers. Buttons have become highly desirable collectibles. In this beautifully illustrated guide, Nancy Fink and Maryalice Ditzler trace the historical background of the button, from classical times to the present day. Hundreds of buttons from all over the world are presented and categorized according to materials: Fabric and Cloth, Metal, Glass, Ceramic, Enamel, Natural Materials, and Plastic. Separate chapters describe uniform buttons and other button collectibles. Because most items presented in this practical guide are within reach of collectors, Buttons: A Collectors Guide will encourage you to embark on a collecting venture of your own.

Over 600 buttons from the 18th century to recent decades are pictured here in full color; they are classified by material (fabric, metal, glass, etc.) and described in terms of their history and characteristics. A section on uniform buttons has a primarily British focus, which will disappoint enthusiasts of U.S. Civil War buttons. The authors, both officeholders in several button collectors' organizations, have essentially produced a low-budget version of Diana Epstein and Millicent Safro's handsome Buttons ( LJ 2/15/92). This is not a guide to determining a button's authenticity, as the backs, shanks, and possible manufacturers' marks are not shown. Restoration is never discussed. Minor inaccuracies--a wrong definition of passementerie, for example--mar a text clearly intended for lay readers. While this book may be enjoyable for browsing, it is not a recommended purchase.
- Therese D. Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

It's a rare treat to find a hardcover, large-format book with so many high-quality color reproductions for such a reasonable price, but this volume is more than a bargain. Button collectors Fink and Ditzler are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, easily convincing readers that buttons are little gems of design ingenuity that transform mere fasteners into miniature objets d'art. The authors discuss the history of button design and fashion and explain various methods of construction, from the exquisite craftsmanship of French and Italian buttonmakers, to the wonders of sophisticated mass production. The hundreds of buttons displayed and chronicled are organized by materials, including buttons made out of fabric and cloth, metal, glass, ceramic, enamel, plastic, and pearl as well as bone, wood, and other natural materials. Styles range from classic elegance to flashy silliness, but all are made with skill and flourish. Donna Seaman