Page 18 - May1964

trz NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN May, 1964

CLASSIFICATION (Continuetl)
YI SEAPES Odd Geometric
Fancy Contour Round
Berry/Multi-tiPPed VII SUBJECT MATTER PICTORIAL
Fluted
Radiant-like AND PATTEBN
Geometric Contour See show classiflcations published
BaU/Modifled Ball regularly in ttre March Bulletin,
Cone/Cut-ofi Cone Div. I, Sections 12,13, 14,15 afld
object-uke/Realistic 17.
BACI( TYPES DEFINED AND EXPLAINED
Form (1) lefers to distinctive shaping of the back. In clear and colored glass it is
;i-two'liind" wtricfr *ignt be called-the "essential" and Ure "by-product." Both
;iss;;-b;ks (c) and siirtuacts (d) are by-products involved with the method of
manufacture.
Fancy molrring, (a & b) on the other hand, contributes imporiantly to the button's
Ueauiy. The two specialized classes listed demonstrate the point'
Painted backs (a) are of charm string vintage. As found today, they may be com-
;Gt"it *itn*t'pir.int or they sparkle-from a bright, fresh repaint Job. But, in a;1y
-.""&:ii"",-"nd
ii easuy recoinizea. It is cleax glass, small, chulky, metal sha^nked
;;;6ti;i a;1 occasioriat sew--thru. Its flat back has a tracery design impressed in
iiii-iriro i"tugUo. When tlre lines are paint fiued, as they were orieinaly, the pat-
tern-stands out Srarpty through the button top.
Badiants (b) are describecl under Construction.
Scissors-back (c) recogniz€d by a ridge of gla.ss extending-in the direction of the
rfrr"t, proaucea ny tie closinl of a scissors-mold. The shank may be staple or
loop a^nd those who wish can separate the two'
swirlback (d) recognized by a cordlike winding off of the gla.ss -a,round a metal
b;ti;tors fr.efer swirs ttrat wrap several times around altho a weak half-
turn will
"hi"rk. get by.
Marks (2) are relatively unimportant in clear and colored glass since their variety
l,s so stricttv limited. Do riot overlook the British registry mark, trowever.
Meta.l backs (3) a,re included for ttre sake of completeness. Up uatil nov collectors
iiJvJ expie*"ea no need for such a class, but it may yet prove $q\qnte especially
ilil6-;A-eaiu* sizes. Some of the appropriate kinds axe kaleidoscopes, mir-
rors, wafers,
Metal shanks (4) on clear and colored glass buttons were once mistakenly regarded
;-;-"id" to ,g". The element of truth is that in the 19th century metal shanks
cdtit;nhr"*6ered selJ-stra,nks and sew-txrrus. Today the si_tuation is reversed but
ilone ine less every one of the "an6que" shanks were still in use after WW.I.
Moral: metal shanf,s, in and of themselves, do not date glass buttons.
Box-shanh (4a) A metal sha,nk in the form of a hollow cube with 2-way or 4-way
openings.
Key-shanh (4b) shank stamped from sheet metal and pun+4 with a hole. Ttre
na,ire derives from the flang;ed part that anchors the shank in the glass' when
saen complete, it is quite key-shaped.
Pig-tail (4c) A wire shank wittr only one end of the loop embedded.
Pin-shank ({d) A sha^nk qriih a head like a pin on the front of the button end a
loop on the back, the connecting spindle passing freely thru the body of the button.
ffr-u ;ti' head,' may be ornamental and even large escutch@ns aire included if
they are indeed held in place by the pin only.