Below is a list of categories from which you can choose a favorite "F" or "G" button(s) to bring for "Show 'N Tell" at our next meeting. If there is not a website link with the description, you can try google-ing the term and add the word "images" to find photos of the type. Remember, you can also bring buttons that feature designs that include: Frogs, flowers, fancy, fowl, giraffe, gnome or other named buttons.
Fabric-Covered: Can be covered with woven, crocheted or knitted thread, or other type of needlework. Also, fabric stretched over disk . Often made by hand.
Faceted Back and/or Front: Molded or cast designs. Very popular on the front of black glass buttons. Faceted back glass buttons can be transparent or opaque, clear or colored. Some have inserts of mottled glass or pearl in the center of the fronts. www.buttoncountry.com/BlackGlass1.html
Feathers: Includes both real feathers incorporated onto the button and feather designs. Special blue and green foils were used under glass to create the "eye of a peacock" look.
Ferrotypes: Images created from a thin iron plate and processing solutions. Also called tintypes. madmimi.com/s/13b7f4?o=pm
Field: refers to various backgrounds on uniform buttons, such as plain, lined, stipled.
Firemen's Buttons: As early as 1805.
Firmin & Sons, LTD: One of the earliest button (late 1700s) manufacturers, mainly uniform and livery buttons. Name on back of button.
Flecks: Composition buttons with coating of tinsel, foil, goldsand, etc., combined with shellac on the button surface. see Goldstone button at www.buttoncountry.com/GlassInM1.html
Foil Trim: Often called "tin foil" because it was first made with thin layers of tin. Used as background for cutout designs under glass and then later on glass, which was then covered by another thin layer of glass.
Four-way Shank: Also called box shank www.thebuttonmonger.com/content/June%202011.pdf
Fur Buttons: Generally intended only for use on fur coats.
Gaiter: (Gaiters are a type of protective clothing for a person's ankles and legs below the knee.) Type of Small Chinas, flat or slightly rounded back with a metal shank plate and loop shank. Used on gaiters but also women's and children's clothing. Shapes include flat, domed, coned or hobnail. 3/8"-3/4" Includes "Bullseye" with concentric circles designs as seen at www.buttoncountry.com/china.html
Galalith: German plastic made of milk. Nearly impossible to accurately identify a Galalith plastic button.
Galena: Glittering gray ore sprinkled on lightweight cardboard. Covered with glass and used as center of metal buttons.
Garter Buttons: From about 1910-1920 for fancy garters worn on the outside of garters. Covered with cotton or silk and with a face painted on it. About 3/4". www.busybeaver.net/blog/2013/05/08/the-button-museum-roaring-20s-collection/
Gates, Theodore: Decoupage-style covered with "watch crystal" glass. Signed on back with initials.
Gentlemen's Buttons: Refers to black glass buttons, two-hole sew-through type (deeply molde on front) with metal back. May be found on store cards, labeled "Gentlemen's Buttons." Often decorated with overlay trim in color and goldstone in luster designs.
Gilt: The first type of brass/gilt buttons were made that featured a thin coating of gold, which frequently wore off. Followed by a improved manufacturing process around 1800 that produced mostly small, plain gilt buttons for the first 30 years. More elaborate designs in 1830-1850 included surface designs. www.thebuttonmonger.com/gilt-brass-1820-1840-3-4/
Glass: Mostly from the 1840s on. Classified in two categories...(1) Clear and Colored and (2) Black Glass. www.buttoncountry.com/BlackGlass1.html www.buttoncountry.com/CandCGlass1.html
Gold: Seldom used for buttons except for plating.
Golden Age Buttons: Fancy gold-plated brass buttons made between 1830 and 1850.
Goodyear, Nelson: The dates of 1849-1851 appear on Nelson's hard-rubber buttons with the name Goodyear, however, the name and dates on the buttons do not indicated the date of manufacture.
Goofy: Refers to odd, humorous or picture buttons made from plastics, china, wood, nuts, cork, etc. Coined by Dorothy Foster Brown in her book, Button Parade.
Faceted Back and/or Front: Molded or cast designs. Very popular on the front of black glass buttons. Faceted back glass buttons can be transparent or opaque, clear or colored. Some have inserts of mottled glass or pearl in the center of the fronts. www.buttoncountry.com/BlackGlass1.html
Feathers: Includes both real feathers incorporated onto the button and feather designs. Special blue and green foils were used under glass to create the "eye of a peacock" look.
Ferrotypes: Images created from a thin iron plate and processing solutions. Also called tintypes. madmimi.com/s/13b7f4?o=pm
Field: refers to various backgrounds on uniform buttons, such as plain, lined, stipled.
Firemen's Buttons: As early as 1805.
Firmin & Sons, LTD: One of the earliest button (late 1700s) manufacturers, mainly uniform and livery buttons. Name on back of button.
Flecks: Composition buttons with coating of tinsel, foil, goldsand, etc., combined with shellac on the button surface. see Goldstone button at www.buttoncountry.com/GlassInM1.html
Foil Trim: Often called "tin foil" because it was first made with thin layers of tin. Used as background for cutout designs under glass and then later on glass, which was then covered by another thin layer of glass.
Four-way Shank: Also called box shank www.thebuttonmonger.com/content/June%202011.pdf
Fur Buttons: Generally intended only for use on fur coats.
Gaiter: (Gaiters are a type of protective clothing for a person's ankles and legs below the knee.) Type of Small Chinas, flat or slightly rounded back with a metal shank plate and loop shank. Used on gaiters but also women's and children's clothing. Shapes include flat, domed, coned or hobnail. 3/8"-3/4" Includes "Bullseye" with concentric circles designs as seen at www.buttoncountry.com/china.html
Galalith: German plastic made of milk. Nearly impossible to accurately identify a Galalith plastic button.
Galena: Glittering gray ore sprinkled on lightweight cardboard. Covered with glass and used as center of metal buttons.
Garter Buttons: From about 1910-1920 for fancy garters worn on the outside of garters. Covered with cotton or silk and with a face painted on it. About 3/4". www.busybeaver.net/blog/2013/05/08/the-button-museum-roaring-20s-collection/
Gates, Theodore: Decoupage-style covered with "watch crystal" glass. Signed on back with initials.
Gentlemen's Buttons: Refers to black glass buttons, two-hole sew-through type (deeply molde on front) with metal back. May be found on store cards, labeled "Gentlemen's Buttons." Often decorated with overlay trim in color and goldstone in luster designs.
Gilt: The first type of brass/gilt buttons were made that featured a thin coating of gold, which frequently wore off. Followed by a improved manufacturing process around 1800 that produced mostly small, plain gilt buttons for the first 30 years. More elaborate designs in 1830-1850 included surface designs. www.thebuttonmonger.com/gilt-brass-1820-1840-3-4/
Glass: Mostly from the 1840s on. Classified in two categories...(1) Clear and Colored and (2) Black Glass. www.buttoncountry.com/BlackGlass1.html www.buttoncountry.com/CandCGlass1.html
Gold: Seldom used for buttons except for plating.
Golden Age Buttons: Fancy gold-plated brass buttons made between 1830 and 1850.
Goodyear, Nelson: The dates of 1849-1851 appear on Nelson's hard-rubber buttons with the name Goodyear, however, the name and dates on the buttons do not indicated the date of manufacture.
Goofy: Refers to odd, humorous or picture buttons made from plastics, china, wood, nuts, cork, etc. Coined by Dorothy Foster Brown in her book, Button Parade.
Greek Key: A pattern often used on buttons of straight lines bent or joined at right angles.
Greenway, Kate: English artist and writer (1846-1901). Linked to Greenway stories but only authenticated if identified with illustration. Greenway designs were molded on Jasperware in US, and on metal for the American trade.
Greenway, Kate: English artist and writer (1846-1901). Linked to Greenway stories but only authenticated if identified with illustration. Greenway designs were molded on Jasperware in US, and on metal for the American trade.
Grisaille: 16th Century painting on ivory, enameled and laquered metals, etc. All white on black background.
Grotesque Designs: Found only on black glass buttons. Re: turkey wing with nail through it; foot of turkey or similar bird. Designs always incised, never raised. Filled with gold or silver paint.
Gut Loop Shank: Crosses loops of gut or string used on metal-covered buttons with wood or bone backs.
Grotesque Designs: Found only on black glass buttons. Re: turkey wing with nail through it; foot of turkey or similar bird. Designs always incised, never raised. Filled with gold or silver paint.
Gut Loop Shank: Crosses loops of gut or string used on metal-covered buttons with wood or bone backs.
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