Buttons Collection

WW2 - Home Front - Woman in her Gas Mask. Date: circa 1941

Immanuel Kant (Dobler)
IMMANUEL KANT German philosopher

The Pearly King and Queen of Thornton Heath
Larry Barnes (1926-2011) - Pearly King of Thornton Heath and one of Variety Theatres last specialist acts. Pictured with his Pearly Queen Maggie (1932)

Trench Art Lighter, WW1
Round Trench Art lighter with officers button on either side

Oval Trench Art lighter, WW1
Oval Trench Art lighter with officers button on either side

Ismail Enver Pasha, Turkish leader, WW1
Ismail Enver Pasha (1881-1922), Turkish military officer, leader of the Ottoman Empire in both Balkan Wars, architect of the Ottoman-German Alliance during the First World War

Blitz in London - AFS firefighter, WW2
Blitz in London - a smiling AFS firefighter, a former Smithfield meat porter named Eddie

Js Bach (Reutsch)
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH German musician Date: 1685 - 1750

Js Bach / Postcard
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH German organist and composer

Louis Braille / Thiriat
LOUIS BRAILLE French inventor of system of raised-point writing for the blind

Ulyssess Grant / Johnson
ULYSSESs GRANT American Civil War General, and later President

Hugo De Groot / Larmessin
HUGO DE GROOT alias HUGO GROTIUS Dutch scholar, humanist and politician

Cervantes / Selma
MIGUEL DE CERVANTES Spanish novelist

John Vivian of Pencalenick, John Opie (1761-1807)
Oil on canvas, English School, around 1780. A portrait of a young John Vivian of Pencalenick (1772-1817). Vivian later became a Barrister and was High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1812

Inspector Alice B Clayden and her brothers, London
Woman police officer, Inspector Alice Bertha Clayden, with her three brothers (together with Sergeant Henry Pegler) in the yard of Crawford Place Police Station, London W1 -- the brothers are

Arthur Godfrey music hall coster act
Arthur Godfrey of the music hall coster double act Duncan and Godfrey with Minnie Duncan. Wearing coster costume of suit with long jacket and bell bottomed trousers trimmed with pearly buttons

Advert for Raoul Shoe Company 1912
French footwear, womens shoes for all occasions, street, town, seaside, tennis, walking, evening and court. 1912

Woman police officer in new Surrey uniform
Woman police officer (Eileen Greenwood) in the new Surrey uniform introduced in 1973. The jacket was single-breasted with four buttons, and the hat was in black and white with a checked design

Woman police officer in Hartnell uniform, London
Woman police officer (Margaret Miles) in a London street, wearing the new style Norman Hartnell uniform, introduced in 1968. Date: circa late 1960s

Woman police officer, Inspector Alice B Clayden, London
Woman police officer, Inspector Alice Bertha Clayden, London. She also had three brothers in the police force. In 1922, during the period of the so-called Geddes Axe when the government of the day

Inspector Alice B Clayden outside Buckingham Palace
Woman police officer, Inspector Alice Bertha Clayden, outside Buckingham Palace on 2 January 1928. Her brother Sergeant Alfred William Clayden (second from left)

Inspector Alice B Clayden outside Buckingham Palace
Woman police officer, Inspector Alice Bertha Clayden (second from right), outside Buckingham Palace on 2 January 1928. Her brother Sergeant Alfred William Clayden (second from left)

Studio photo, young man in army uniform, WW1
Head and shoulders studio photo, young man in Royal Fusiliers uniform, February 1917. He is Albert Auerbach (1894-1918). Date: 1917

Woman police officer Annie Matthews, Hyde Park, London
Woman police officer Annie Matthews (nickname Big Ben), on duty at the childrens lido in Hyde Park, London. Before joining the Met Police, Annie worked as a housemaid at Glamis Castle in Scotland

Metropolitan Police officer, PC Tom Smith
Studio photograph of the Metropolitan Police officer, PC Tom Smith, wearing the new eight button tunic which replaced the old Peelers tailcoat in 1864. The top hat remains as before. Date: 1864

Man & Quizzing Glass
Blue cravat, tartan under- waistcoat, D-B waistcoat with pointed front, grey woollen pantaloons, brown frock coat: gigot sleeves, black lining, roll collar & lapels

Portrait of Captain Gilbert Heathcote RN, 1779-1831. Creator: William Owen
Portrait of Captain Gilbert Heathcote RN, 1779-1831

Stonewall Jackson (1824-1863). American military. Portrait (1864) by J.W. King. National Portrait Gallery. Washington D.C. United States

Thomas Hearne / R Grave
THOMAS HEARNE English historian and antiquarian Date: 1678 - 1735

Tea break for firefighters, London, WW2
Tea break for a group of London firefighters, standing by an LCC canteen van. Date: 1940s

Lawyers books, brief and wig in a leather chair. Date: circa 1990s

Victorian Scrap -- Policeman. late 19th century

Sir Walter Macarthur Allen (1870-1943), Commander in Chief of the Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC). Portrait photograph by Hay Wrightson

Male Type / Manservant?
Smartly dressed young man: either a manservant or a member of an exclusive club

French Tailors C18Th
An elegant Frenchman has a fitting for a new coat. A tailor, down on one knee, makes some adjustments. Another, sewing buttons, sits cross legged on a bench

Advertisement for the London Glove Company of Cheapside and New Bond Street, showing a selection of womens gloves including long white evening gloves

Five children building a snowman in a wood
Five Edwardian children building a snowman in a wood

Christmas card with a clown on a tightrope, with the sea and rocks below. Date: circa 1890s

Portrait of Martin Ruze de Beaulieu, (1927). Artist: Frans Pourbus the Younger
Portrait of Martin Ruze de Beaulieu, (1927). A print from Flemish and Belgian art 1300-1900, The Exhibition organised by the Anglo-Belgian Union at Burlington House, London

Maj Gen Arthur St. Clair
MAJOR GEN. ARTHUR ST.CLAIR served in Continental army as Brigadier General; evacuated Fort Ticonderoga before Burgoynes advance (1777). Date: 1736 - 1818

Man Dressing Circa 1800
An elderly gentleman at his toilet buttons up his waistcoat before donning his green coat. He also wears stockings & slippers, breeches a white shirt & cravat. circa 1800

Js Bach / Bone
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH German organist and composer with a manuscript in his hand

James Brindley / Holl
JAMES BRINDLEY English canal engineer

Js Bach / Cook / Sichlong
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH German organist and composer

James Brindley / Parsons
JAMES BRINDLEY English canal engineer

Lessing / Gotthold / Miniatu
GOTTHOLD EPHRAIM LESSING German dramatist and critic

Fashions December 1880
Dress fitting tightly to below the hips, reverse collar, buttons down the back. Girl: coat body with tails pinned up behind. Blue jacket body: tartan collar & basque

Shoot for Kamella - children's clothes brand
Client: Stonehouse Advertising - shoot for Kamella children's clothes brand - short girl's woollen coat with six buttons Date: circa 1967

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"Buttons: A Glimpse into History and Personal Stories" Step back in time to the era of World War II, where the Home Front was bustling with resilience. Picture a woman donning her gas mask, buttons securing her protective gear as she bravely faces uncertain times. In Thornton Heath, London, we encounter the captivating Pearly King and Queen adorned with intricate button designs. These symbols of unity and community spirit remind us of the strength found in coming together during challenging times. Delve further into history and meet Immanuel Kant (Dobler), whose philosophical thoughts shaped our understanding of morality. Buttons on his coat serve as a reminder that even great minds are bound by practicality. Trench art lighters from both World Wars tell tales of soldiers finding solace amidst chaos. The craftsmanship displayed on these artifacts showcases their resourcefulness and creativity during dark times. Traveling across continents, we come across Ismail Enver Pasha, a Turkish leader during World War I. His uniform is embellished with buttons that symbolize power and authority but also carry stories untold. London's Blitz brings forth images of brave firefighters like those from the AFS who fought tirelessly to protect their city. Their uniforms proudly display buttons that signify duty and sacrifice. Even musical geniuses like Js Bach left behind traces through postcards adorned with delicate buttons. These small details offer glimpses into their personal lives beyond their artistic accomplishments. Louis Braille's connection to Thiriat reveals how tactile communication transformed lives for visually impaired individuals worldwide. Buttons became more than just accessories; they became gateways to knowledge and independence. The political landscape unfolds as Ulyssess Grant battles alongside Johnson in America's tumultuous past. Buttons bearing their names become symbols representing political ideologies shaping nations' destinies throughout history. Js Bach (Reutsch) takes center stage once again, this time reminding us that even renowned figures had humble beginnings represented by buttons on their garments.