Lucite Collared Bakelite

Check out this flashy harlequin of a button. The central nugget is a polished chunk of rootbeer Bakelite. But this old dandy doesn't end there. This button is collared in a Lucite frill that extends around the Bakelite nub like glorious flower petals or transparent rays of light. I love buttons that combine plastics and this is an exciting example of that. Lucite is a common type of see-through plastic that was invented after Bakelite. circa 1940.

-Sherbert McGee

Here's Day Three of the old advertisements I'm positing this week from classic issues of Fortune magazine. Several of these ads are in color and here's one of them. Bakelite Plastics were a novel industrial emergence and a lucrative way to construct household products during the 1920's, 1930's and the early 1940's. Eventually, other plastics (such a Lucite and Celluloid) overtook the market and hence Bakelite has become a highly collectible thing of the past. Hold onto the history...

Enhanced AJ

What a bizarre find! This apple juice button is carved in ten places with smooth dips taken out of the surface. Nestled in each dipped crevice is a small brass fixture. From a short distance, this button looks like a chunk of honeycomb with bits of sediment at rest in those golden pockets. The button tested positive for Bakelite. It's a chunky work of art that absolutely glows! Made in the 1930's.

-Sherbert McGee

Continued from yesterday, here's another advertisement for Bakelite from an old issue of Fortune magazine. These ads contain "testimonials" from various American companies stating that Bakelite is the superior plastic, comprising everything from iron handles to typewriter keys. I'll be posting a total of five vintage advertisements throughout this week. Stay tuned for more...

Double Chocolate

What's better than a serving of chocolate? ... two servings! Here we have two large coat buttons in that rich and creamy shade of brown that we Bakelite fanatics refer to as chocolate Bakelite. The button on the left is ridged at the border to resemble a flower while the button on the right displays luscious billows and some carved details. These buttons (both from the 1930's) look like they might start to melt any second. Delish!

-Sherbert McGee

Wait, there's more! A surprise came in the mail recently from one of my old college professors in Hawaii where I received my undergraduate degree many moons ago. Little did I know that this professor has been following my blog; and he just so happens to collect vintage magazines from the 1930's, replete with advertisements for Bakelite in some of the issues. As a kindly gift, he removed several of the ads from Fortune magazine, all dating back to the year 1938; and he sent them to yours truly. Thank you, professor! These ads are indeed beautiful and I've decided to share one of them per day throughout this week. Connoisseurs of Bakelite, please check out some neat-o traces of American industry from days of yore...

Apple Juice Painted Green

Optically boggling, isn't it? This large button from the 1930's is made of apple juice Bakelite with a carved underside and a shimmery mystique. The bottom of the button has been painted a bright and straightforward shade of Kelly green. If this photograph seems a little blurry, look more closely. The paint on the button is very old and chipping off in a few places, which gives the button a warped effect. That, combined with the wavy reflection of the sunlight on this button, causes more distortion and it almost looks like this old keepsake is under water. Deep & dreamy, painted Bakelite is always a hypnotic treasure.

-Sherbert McGee

Rootbeer Rose

Made to look like tortoise, here's a Bakelite button in the color we collectors of Bakelite call rootbeer. This particular rootbeer button is a prime example with the dark amber tone filled with mysterious shadows and fishy swirls. Look at the carved details on this old button. The curled leaves folding into the flower design are an example of art deco. Not a lightweight find, what we have here is a solid nugget that resembles petrified syrup. This button may be anywhere from 80 to 90 years old. Circa 1930-1940.

-Sherbert McGee

Wooden Buttons w/ Bakelite

One of my favorite types of buttons is the combination of wood and Bakelite. Here's just the thing: timber and plastic together with the Bakelite inlaid beautifully as striped pieces in this old wood. The middle stripe is orange juice Bakelite while the darker stripes are the blackish-brown tone known as espresso Bakelite. I tested these buttons myself and the inlaid pieces did indeed test positive for the desired plastic. These buttons go back to the early 1930's.

-Sherbert McGee

Toggle Tuesday: Militaristic Reds

Take shelter, friends! These art deco bomb buttons are ready to drop. I've posted buttons like these before, but never in bright red. They are toggles—elongated textile closures that work like buttons. These tested positive for Bakelite and they are true examples of the Jazz Age style that came out of the 1920's and 1930's. Every month I like to celebrate toggles with a "Toggle Tuesday" post, but if you follow this blog, you already know that. I've always called these type of toggles "bomb buttons" because they remind me of military-issued explosives.

Visit Doreen's online store:

BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC

-Sherbert McGee

Gibson Girl in Brown

Lady Gibson, at your service! Here she is folks, a mighty Gibson Girl wreathed in yesterday's roses. The escutcheon on this button is brass, sturdily pinned to a generous serving of dark chocolate Bakelite. Years ago, I had this button in my collection and decided to sell it to a fellow-collector since the Bakelite is eclipsed by the brass piece. Bad decision. As soon as I let this button go, I missed Mrs. Gibson terribly. Last year I found the button again for sale through an antique dealer and hence I once again added this matronly beauty to my collection. It's worth mentioning that this is the second of two Gibson Girl buttons I've spotlighted here on my blog. To see the other one, check the "Art Nouveau" label on the upper right-hand corner of my homepage and scroll back a ways. Madame Gibson thanks you.

-Sherbert McGee

Two Fish: Apple Juice & Maroon

Here we have two fish out of water and these buttons are absolutely exquisite. Purchased just last month from my friend, Doreen, they are Bakelite buttons in apple juice and maroon. Look closely at the maroon fish and notice the red square set in the darker tone of maroon. It's hard to see, but this is indeed a two-tone catch! I love sea-themed buttons and next month I'll be posting a full week of them; so consider these a precursor to a very oceanic week of exotic Bakelite. Go Fish!

Visit Doreen's online store:

BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC

-Sherbert McGee