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2nd Annual Ozark Foothills Button Show


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Memories of
Buttons
“I
was often the only child in the group…whether my
mother was visiting a friend in town or a family
member in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, or
California. It took very little time for me to
become bored with looking at things I could not
touch.
What
amazes me now is that when I posed this
question, “Can I see your buttons?” the hostess
always knew what I wanted, that was to see her
button box or jar.
I
used the buttons to make room layouts on
carpets, arranged them by color or material,
made abstract designs, and often counted the
pieces in my different divisions.
The
first person I remember giving me buttons to
keep is the wife of my mother’s cousin in
Vicksburg, Mississippi. For some reason I
remember several details of that trip, made when
I was eight years old; but sadly, I do not
remember exactly which buttons I was given, only
that they were glass. I remember opening and
closing my white pique purse with the drawstring
closure many times when we first left to see if
they were indeed mine and still there.
I
also remember that I already had a few buttons
of my own, but I think that marked the beginning
of my collection. That’s when I began talking
about “my buttons.” After that, Mother’s friends
began to say, “Before you go, you can choose a
button to take with you.” Wow, those were
powerful words to me!”
Sharron
White
Ozark
Foothills Button Show Event Chair |
Photos
TOP: Sharron White sorting
buttons.
MIDDLE:
The Reynolds Family Button Jug. In the 1880s,
Mrs. Dennis W. Reynolds (Mattie), wife of the
founder of Reyno, took this earthenware jug
(manufactured locally) and decorated it with
some of her best buttons from her millenary shop
at Old Reyno. To the jug, she first applied a
glue which she made herself from bees wax before
attaching the buttons. The jug has remained in
the Reynolds family ever since, passed down
through several generation. It’s considered the
family good luck charm. The Button Jug,
currently on display at the museum, is on loan
from Ann B. Carroll, great-granddaughter of
Dennis Reynolds. |
The Randolph County
Heritage Museum will host the 2nd Annual Ozark Foothills
Button Show on Friday, June 6 - Saturday, June 7 at the
Museum’s Annex on the Historic Court Square in Pocahontas.
The museum would
like to invite local residents to bring their button
collections of all shapes, sizes, and ages to show or
sell/trade. The tradition of collecting buttons goes back to
the days of necessity when buttons were not readily
available and everything possible was recycled.
There will be no
entry fee for collectors to show their treasures. This event
will target the local community of Randolph County and
surrounding areas. There will be a $1 admission charge to
the show on the days of the event which will be donated to
the museum. The museum is also looking for volunteers to
help with the planning and supervising of the show. To learn
more or volunteer, contact the museum at 892-4056, Cindy
Robinett at
heritagemuseum@centurytel.net.
“Button
collecting has grown steadily in popularity every year for
decades. There are many different subsets of collectors.
Some specialize in one type of button material, such as
enamel buttons which we are going to discuss in more detail
further on. Others are more interested in buttons of all
materials from a specific point in history, such as the
civil war. Whatever their passion, button collectors are
becoming more interested in owning a little piece of history
and tiny, beautiful works of art.” –
www.antiquebuttoncollecting.com |
June 6-7 |
Museum Annex |