This wonderfully large Bakelite button reminds me of one of those soft teething toys filled with saline solution. Be that as it may, no babies are chewing on this thing. This button's outer details are apple juice Bakelite with simple carvings and a tiny air bubble inside the Bakelite that you can see in this photo at the 12:00 mark, right at the edge. Some fussy collectors of Bakelite would consider this a manufactural flaw. I consider it a lucky birthmark. The inner section is black Bakelite—also carved. Made in the 1930's.
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BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
-Sherbert McGee
Indoors, I would swear that this Bakelite button is a tone of dark moss, which is a murky greenish hue—replete with black swirls. Outdoors in the sunshine, the button reveals its true self: a brown button in a color known by collectors as Mississippi Mud. And that's Bakelite for you, a chameleon plastic of duplicitous shades that aren't always easily identifiable and seem to change sometimes in different lighting. Its color aside, this button sports some excellent carvings and a smart character. Made in the 1930's.
-Sherbert McGee
Last summer I posted a full week of nautical-themed buttons and decided to hold onto this one for a future post. Anchors Aweigh! What we have here is a large "cookie" button with a butterscotch anchor set in licorice Bakelite. Some Bakelite buttons exude lucky vibes and this is one of those buttons. With its beachy emblem and straightforward charm, this anchor could be a tattoo on a louche sailor, circa 1931.
Speaking of 1931, here's a painting from the same year, titled Idylle (Le Départ) by the the ever-chic and über-dazzling Tamara de Lempicka. Among my favorite of her artworks, this one depicts a seaside moment between a pipe-smoking bluejacket and his very blonde ladylove. Recently, I've begun posting paintings by Lempicka once a month and I'll continue to do so until the end of the year. Bon Voyage!
-Sherbert McGee
Well, I'll be snookered! My friend Doreen sold me these buttons earlier this year and I'm just nuts about them. Made of chocolate brown Bakelite, the shape of these buggers is really unusual. I'm not even sure how to describe these whatchamacallits with their their angular, head-and-shoulders curves and their slotted tops. Truly unique, this set of four likely goes back to the 1930's. I've never seen another button like these. Perhaps they are a rare breed?
Visit Doreen's online store:
BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
-Sherbert McGee
Here's a pretty button made of creamed corn Bakelite with some noteworthy carvings and a heap of buttery charm. Though enlarged here in this photo, this is actually a medium-sized button with a pudgy demeanor and good vibes. Likely going back to the Great Depression, this is the kind of button I hold and think about—wondering where it's traveled and whose sweater it might've decorated 80-something years ago.
Visit Doreen's online store:
BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
-Sherbert McGee
