Page 16 - May1964

110 NATIONAL BIIITON BULLETIN May, 1964
trL,A.Eisi!FItrATIBN trF
trLEAR AND trOLtrRED EiLASS
Jane f'ord Adams
Illustrations by Liluan Smith Albert
INTRODUCTION
This is a revised classification of buttons made of clear and colored gF_ss' It
i"*"pooto many valuable swgestions and a few changes in practice which are
i-pr.T;;t" ov& tfre pioneeieflort of 1951. CoUectors well acqrrainted wittr the
6'iAi*ii wt1 unaerstand the new version especially well a,nd tt is hoped that ttre
veriest beginner can follow along quite easily.
The first important point to keep in mind is the scgrre of the subject. Ex-
cluded from this classifidtion are four groups: 1. Black glass of every descriptio:t'
N;t" e"pe"iattt that a black gla,ss button partly covered with colored overlay trim
is-iiifi 'UUpf. Paperweights -wiUr UUcf iir the set-up and radiants that suffuse
bh"aare atso ctaisifiea-in that section, not here. 2. Glass mounted in metal or in
*rV ott which is not gla^ss is classified elsewtrere. 3. Buttons of some
"" "t"terial glass ornameirtation are classified according to ttre body' 4.
oiiier material with
Modern buttoDs - it -seems necessaJry to classify old and modern separately even
ttoWt tnC two have most classes iricommon. The differences are just enough to
cau^se confusion if iuxtaposed.
Having drawn the boundaxies, we now "zone" the clear and colored glass sec-
uon. zon:ig can be done of the ba'sis of one or more of ssven cat(x:ories-- (1) back
iyp", iZl c5lor, (3) construction, (4) decoration, (5) mecha^rrical make-up, (6)
ililie, <Zl subj&t matter. A detailed discussion of each one follows'
only persons thoroughly familiar with glass-working techniques. can look
at e iinisnea piece and aescii5e how it was made. In some cas€s, even the exp€r-
i"nced tirss-worker cannot toll which of several possible methods-was actuauy
emptoydh. To expect users of this classification to know a dot made with a rod
iroil 6"C maae witfr a brush would be ahsurd. To incorporate a prerequirsite course
in iiass Utowing as part of the classification would be still more absurd - parbicu-
larly with the present writer as teacher!
Be it understood from the beginning, therefore, that eveory attempt has been
maae-to ctassify buttons according to their observable likenesses or differences.
Tochniques must fall as they may when in dispute.
In 1951 it s€emed impossible to describe buttons with the vocabulary used by
coUecto* ot gtass pieees ha,ny times larger. So new terms, "oveday tri:rr" for in-
;6gr1ce,;"* introalucea. Thei proved valuable and are now in common use. Def-
initions are given agai& especially for newe'r collectors'
trLASSiIF!trATttrN OF trLEAR AND trtrLtrRED EiLAEiEi

I BACI( TYPES Key
Pig-tail
Fol:]rr Pin
Paintcd Backs Loop wittr Plate
Radiants Loop without Plate
Scisors-back Rosette
Swirlback Staple
Marks Self-shanks
Metal Backs
Open Sew-ttlrus
Screen Whistle
Solid 2-hole
Metsl ShaJ*s 3-hole
Box 4-hole