The History of Button Badges
A brief insight into modern button badges
This is a brief insight into how the modern button badges came to be and how these pin badges presented themselves as a new product during the development of another commonly used item; the trouser button.
Button Badges were invented by a New Jersey company called Whitehead and Hoag in 1896. Amongst a number of novelty items they produced was a button for holding up men’s trousers.
The original button was made using a unique process whereby a piece of cloth was placed over a metal shell. A metal collar was stamped into the back clipping the piece of cloth in place and pulling it tight across the front of the shell. In 1896 this was modified to make “all classes of jewellery such as cuff-buttons, and especially link buttons, stick-pins, badges (and) brooches”. The Button Badge was born but not exactly as we know it today as it had a cloth front and the pin literally stuck out like the stick pin fixing without having the end of the pin clipped into to the back of the badge or even protected.
Around the same time, John Wesley Hyatt invented “celluloid” a durable thermoplastic that could be printed on and was durable enough to stamp. Swapping the cloth for the celluloid produced the first Button Badges as we now know them. Whitehead and Hoag in 1896 quickly moved to announce “improvements in badges for use as lapel pins or buttons, or other like uses.”
A Badge Maker today would still make Button Badges in the same way but with slightly different materials.
As the original Button Badges were a simple advance in Trouser Buttons which were 1 inch in diameter, or roughly 25mm in diameter, most people think of this size when buying button badges and the 25mm Button Badge is still the most popular size of button badge.
Again as the modern button badges were developed from an actual button the name has stuck and we still call them “Button Badges”.
At this time metal die struck Cloisonné Enamel Badges were the only pin badges or promotional badges available. Enamel lapel pins were extremely popular however they were expensive. The new “Button Badge” was such a popular alternative promotional item that that in the first year over a million Button Badges were made.
In the early years Button Badges were used to promote sports stars, actors and politicians. They were given as promotional gifts and incentive when a packet of cigarettes was bought. They were even given to promote political messages in England during the Boer War with messages like “England expects every man to do his duty”
The Button Badge uses have been so varied since its conception that it requires a more in-depth look at its uses. Please look at this article “Popular uses of the Button Badge” for more info on the much-loved Button Badge.
Big Bang Button Badges
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- Range of standard size options
- The badge base is made from recyclable metal
Included standard pin fitting - Child friendly ‘pin free’ fitting available on the 55mm option
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