Findings

Danforth Buttons

Danforth buttons reveal fashion trends of the period and socioeconomic status.

  • Bone buttons: carved by hand and used to fasten undergarments that were not visible.
  • Mourning Button: made from glass to imitate expensive jet stone embellishments worn by Queen Victoria during her 40-year mourning period.
  • Brass buttons: most common buttons visible on clothing. Smaller buttons fastened cuffs or waistcoats, larger buttons as embellishments.

19th Century Women

Up until the late 19th century, many women made their clothes at home, using what they had to imitate styles from women’s magazines like the Ladies’ Home Journal and Harpers Bazaar. Buttons remind us that throughout history, there was often a woman behind all of the invisible tasks that sustain a household and keep the family clothed.

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