Button Badges

.Have you seen our new range of button badges? We are so pleased to have them and there are so many cute designs to choose from.

Button Badge history

The history of button badges is very interesting.  Whilst now we mostly wear them for fun their original purpose was to promote political parties and slogans.  Political buttons have been used in the United States of America since 178.  George Washington’s supporters wore buttons imprinted with a slogan.  These first slogan buttons were sewn to the lapel of a coat or worn as a pendant.  Apparently the first campaign buttons with photographs were produced to promote the political platform of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.

These first badges or buttons were expensive to make.  The invention of celluloid in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt meant that an inexpensive version could be explored.  Sheets of celluloid film could be used to cover paper. This meant a huge reduction in costs and the skills needed to work with enamel.

Badge innovation

The first big innovation in button badges was in 1893 when Benjamin S Whitehead patented a design for a method of inserting a sheet of transparent celluloid film over a photograph mounted onto a badge.  The celluloid film protected the image from scratches and marking.  Another patent was issued to Whitehead & Hoag in July 1896 for a “Badge Pin or Button” which used a metal pin anchored to the back of the button to fasten the badge.

Some of the first button badges to appear in the UK were produced to celebrate Queen Victoria’s diamond Jubilee in 1897.  It was not long, however, until the original political and commemorative purposes of the button badges were put to a more commercial use.  Marketing teams within major brands could see the potential of badges for promotional purposes and as early as 1898 button badges were used as prizes with chewing gum and tobacco products.

The 1960’s onwards

Button badges have been popular ever since but really came into their from the 1960’s onwards when prolific quantities were produced to show support for bands and singers or causes.  They have definitely become a fashion statement ever since.

We are very lucky that our range of button badges are made for us by a family owned and run UK based business.  We have over 40 different types in stock currently and will be adding to this range as soon as we can.

Click here to see our range of cute button badges.