Welcome

The goal of our Club is to provide opportunities to study buttons that are worth collecting, and share that knowledge as we come to appreciate their beauty and history. Collectable buttons include all buttons - antique and vintage, uniform and military.

Meetings are held at 8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month (except January) in the Fellowship Room of the Burwood Heights Uniting Church (A-frame) on the corner of Burwood Highway and Blackburn Road, Burwood East.  (Melways Ref. 61 K7)

History

The idea of a button collecting club was conceived in 1995. The Victorian Button Collectors Club became a reality in 1996 when, through word of mouth and personal contacts, we held our first meeting at a private home. As individual button collectors, we had been aware of established button clubs in America and the United Kingdom. In Melbourne at that time, there was very little public information about buttons available, button collecting was not a hobby most people had heard of, and it was difficult to find collectable buttons even in antique shops. The Victorian Button Collectors Club was established to encourage the collecting, preservation and appreciation of buttons, antique and modern, and research into the history relating to their origins and uses. Most of all, the club provides an opportunity to meet like-minded people.  If you are a member you can Find out more . . .

 

Another Button Story

A new button will be posted on the Home page once per month.
Click on the button to enlarge.

 

 

Tintype Buttons
The Buttons: 1/2¨(12mm) brass buttons with inserts of tintype photographs of lady’s heads. Late 1800s.
A little while ago, on the TV series, Antiques Road Show, there was an antique camera that is best described as a telescope sticking out of a wooden box. The camera had been used by the lady’s ancestor to take portrait pictures of visitors to the seaside or at village fairs. He would take the photos on specially prepared “tin plates” and when dry, cut out the portraits and insert them into the button blanks, all while the person waited! You can Google images of antique tintype or ferrotype cameras if you want to see more. According to Hughes and Lester (BBB), this type of photography was first introduced in the 1850s, it was inexpensive and became very popular by the 1860s and remained so until the early 1900s. One can usually date the button from the costumes and hair styles of the subjects.
Ref: E. Hughes and M. Lester 2010. Big Book of Buttons, Vol2  pp721

Button Banter

Button Banter is now up and running for members only. It has its own heading at the top of the Home page which you can see once you log in.  Click on this heading to view contributions.  If you want to add an item use 'Add Button Banter'  under the Member Menu on the right of that screen or the Home page.  

Button Banter is for you to share your button interests with other Club members, ask advice or give feedback. You can also see other members buttons or Button Challenge Cards or join in and show your own. It is preferable to post your photo in portrait format.

NEXT MEETING - Tuesday 8th April 2025

TOPIC:    BUTTON HOOKS

 (Meetings start at 8.00pm - arrive from 7.30pm)

VISITORS ARE WELCOME AT CLUB MEETINGS