Saving Textile History, One Button at a Time
Every button has a story. Don’t let them be forgotten.
Often, the most precious parts of our textile heritage are tucked away in dusty attics, forgotten tin boxes, or the back drawers of old haberdasheries. Perhaps your grandma collected buttons and you don’t even know the little treasure she was keeping. To the world, they are just “old buttons.” To me, they are miniature archives of history, culture, materials, and chemistry. Every time I hold a button in my hand, I like to think about its journey, or the use they were intended for.
Let’s not forget buttons, so we don’t forget people.
The Mission – I am dedicated to “rescuing” vintage and antique button collections. My goal is to prevent these “little worlds” from being lost or discarded. I study them, catalog them according to their materials and era, and find them a new life—either in historical archives, projects, or my own creative inspiration.
What I am Looking For – I am interested in boxes, inventories, or individual pieces made of:
- Natural Materials: Mother of Pearl, Bone, Horn, Wood, and Corozo.
- Early Synthetics: Galalith (milk stone), Bakelite, Celluloid, and Lucite.
- Artisanal Work: Jet (Jais), Glass, Enamel, and Hand-beaten Metals.
Have you found buttons? Don’t throw them away! Whether you’ve inherited a family collection or found a forgotten stock in a workshop, I would love to help you value and preserve it. How? Here are a few examples:
- Identification: I can help you understand what you have. Let’s investigate together!
- Conservation & Rescue: Many don’t realize that buttons can actually “get sick.” Early synthetics can undergo chemical degradation that consumes them from within. I am currently studying how to identify these processes and intervene to halt the damage.
I am interested in purchasing or collaborating to curate and secure quality vintage stocks, ensuring the “pests” of time don’t destroy an entire archive.
Every button we save is a message from the past for future generations.
PieLilli 