Page 28 - February1999

26 N,\Tn0NAn B{J1l1f0N B{Jn n ETIN February 1999

"Most of the pressed
glass buttons are produced
by two factories. Both are
cooperatives with some
salaried workers like
managers, engravers and
moldmakers. Cottage
workers like pressmolders
and painters do the
production of buttons for
piecework wages.
"The average press-
molder is 35 to 50 years old
and does hard physical labor
to produce the buttons. There
are safety rules and male
workers usually wear
blouson, a blue cotton
smock, or Bleus, a blue
cotton jump suit. Both
garments close with buttons!
Female workers wear dresses
and work aDrons.

"Beautiful finishes like auroras
and other lusters are produced in a
factory specializing in that work.
"A third factory actually
produces the I meter glass rods used
by the moldmakers. A minimum of
40 kilos is required for special
orders, and the rods are manu-
factured in varying diameters. It
took several years of bringing
samples and encouragement to
convince the factories to begin
making moonglow glass and
buttons."

(See color pages for examples
of Bib's buttons).