Pearl buttons are made from the mother of pearl or shells of the mussels. They were once very popular but no longer practical with our modern washing machines and dryers as they will deteriorate.
However, for the Pearly Kings and Queens of London, pearl buttons still abound in their elaborate costumes.
Fruit and vegetable street vendors in London called costermongers originally used pearl buttons in their "flash boy outfits". Pearl buttons were sewn down the outside leg seams of their pants. The pocket flaps of waistcoats and cap fronts were similarly adorned.
The founder of the Pearly tradition, Henry Croft (1862-1930) left the workhouse orphanage when he was 13 to be a road sweeper and rat catcher. As he admired the costermongers and their suits, he decided to decorate an entire suit, top hat and tails included. With all the attention he got, he began to collect small change to benefit the orphanage he came from and other charities.
Soon, the costermongers rallied around him to help him raise more money. They established a Pearly monarchy. Every London borough, plus the City of London and Westminster, have their own Pearly families - kings, queens, princes and princesses. They still support charities today and are strongly associated with the Church.
The pearl buttons form patterns on their signature costumes and have meanings. Some symbols include horseshoes (luck), heart (charity), wheel (coster's barrow), anchors(hope) and playing card symbols (life is a gamble).
These Cockneys also have a delightful rhyming slang. My favorites are tomfoolery for jewelry, dicky dirt for shirt and trouble and strife for wife! (as in "My trouble and strife always irons my dicky dirts. Maybe I should buy her some tomfoolery!")
In the US, the pearl button industry was centered in Muscatine, Iowa starting from the late 1800's. For years it was known as the "Pearl Button Capital of the World" or "Pearl City". The buttons were made from bountiful freshwater mussel shells collected from the nearby Mississippi river. The pearl button industry peaked in 1916 making $12.5 million worth of buttons that year. There were so many punched out shells, they used them for road fill! All that changed with the introduction of cheap plastic buttons. The local Muscatine button factories still makes buttons but just plastic ones.
Vintage pearl buttons are getting harder to find so treasure any you may find. Perhaps you could also make jewelry out of them. Shown here is Stelma Designs's lovely 1940s Vintage Pearl Button Choker necklace creation.
By the way, the inspiration for this post comes from my childhood nickname - Pearly. Strange how a single syllable name like Pearl actually lengthened!
You may also like :
How to make button rings
Button jewelry inspirations and tutorials
Button jewelry
______________________________
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips -Jewelry Business Tips
However, for the Pearly Kings and Queens of London, pearl buttons still abound in their elaborate costumes.
Fruit and vegetable street vendors in London called costermongers originally used pearl buttons in their "flash boy outfits". Pearl buttons were sewn down the outside leg seams of their pants. The pocket flaps of waistcoats and cap fronts were similarly adorned.
The founder of the Pearly tradition, Henry Croft (1862-1930) left the workhouse orphanage when he was 13 to be a road sweeper and rat catcher. As he admired the costermongers and their suits, he decided to decorate an entire suit, top hat and tails included. With all the attention he got, he began to collect small change to benefit the orphanage he came from and other charities.
Soon, the costermongers rallied around him to help him raise more money. They established a Pearly monarchy. Every London borough, plus the City of London and Westminster, have their own Pearly families - kings, queens, princes and princesses. They still support charities today and are strongly associated with the Church.
The pearl buttons form patterns on their signature costumes and have meanings. Some symbols include horseshoes (luck), heart (charity), wheel (coster's barrow), anchors(hope) and playing card symbols (life is a gamble).
These Cockneys also have a delightful rhyming slang. My favorites are tomfoolery for jewelry, dicky dirt for shirt and trouble and strife for wife! (as in "My trouble and strife always irons my dicky dirts. Maybe I should buy her some tomfoolery!")
Vintage Pearl Buttons
In the US, the pearl button industry was centered in Muscatine, Iowa starting from the late 1800's. For years it was known as the "Pearl Button Capital of the World" or "Pearl City". The buttons were made from bountiful freshwater mussel shells collected from the nearby Mississippi river. The pearl button industry peaked in 1916 making $12.5 million worth of buttons that year. There were so many punched out shells, they used them for road fill! All that changed with the introduction of cheap plastic buttons. The local Muscatine button factories still makes buttons but just plastic ones.
Vintage pearl buttons are getting harder to find so treasure any you may find. Perhaps you could also make jewelry out of them. Shown here is Stelma Designs's lovely 1940s Vintage Pearl Button Choker necklace creation.
By the way, the inspiration for this post comes from my childhood nickname - Pearly. Strange how a single syllable name like Pearl actually lengthened!
You may also like :
How to make button rings
Button jewelry inspirations and tutorials
Button jewelry
______________________________
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips -Jewelry Business Tips
Hi Pearl,
ReplyDeleteThat was very sweet of you! I read your article and found it very interesting. I learned some new things; those outfits are great the men are wearing.
Out my way, the Pacific Northwest coast Indians made gorgeous wool navy and red blankets sewn with beautiful patterns and animals in mother of pearl shell buttons. They actually wore them as capes and they are magnificent to see. You could Google them and see what you find.
I tweeted your blog page and I appreciate the feature! Thank you so much!
Have a nice day,
Julia
I so enjoyed this article! I live in Iowa now, so I enjoyed learning about Pearl City. But my real interest comes from my time in Indiana, West Chicago in fact. The banks of the river had to be reinforced after a flood in, I believe, 1957. It was strange to find clam shells with several holes in there flattest section. Just to find clam shells was strange, but with holes? My mother (born in 1912) told me about buttons made of the shells. I had forgotten that until I read your piece. Thanks for the memory. (Wish I knew about beach combing then!)
ReplyDeleteLaurie Knauss
You`re welcome Julia (StelmaDesign)! And thanks for the tip on the pearl button capes of the Pacific Northwest coast natives!
ReplyDeleteLaurie, that is so lovely to read about your own experience with the holed shells!
Do you know history of or seen many 3-holed buttons?
ReplyDeleteI don't know much about three holed buttons except that they are from the 18th and early 19th century and they are rare. Check out the info on bone buttons from this site:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tias.com/articles/buttons/dictionary1.html
Thanks you so much. I was looking at all the buttons from my mother-in-law who died this year at age 99. I think the buttons are a conglomeration of her buttons and her mother's buttons. Interesting collection!
ReplyDeleteBeverly
Pearl you've done it again! You've written about something I never knew existed! Pearly Kings and Queens, I mean. How interesting! I swear you can't possibly have a regular job and put so much time into your blog too. And you keep it so interesting!
ReplyDeleteLOL! I actually do have a regular job. Writing is a creative outlet for me plus I now have a place to share all the bits of trivia I have collected over the years.
ReplyDelete