To celebrate Black History Month of February (WRBA Public Handout), a WRBA member shares a special group of livery buttons. About 200 British noble families are listed in the 1905 edition of Fairbairn’s Book of Crests describing their crests using terms such as ‘blackamoor,’ ‘moor,’ and ‘Africa’, indicating that African-themed imagery was popular in the British heraldry for symbolizing colonial achievements, military conquests, or historical connections.
From an eco-feminist perspective, the snake represents feminine wisdom and humanity’s deep connection to nature. Its ability to shed its skin embodies resilience, adaptability, and renewal—qualities said to be carried by those born under this zodiac sign (1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, and 2025), who are intuitive, resourceful, and graceful in navigating life’s challenges.
Button collectors use the year 1918 to separate our old buttons from the new. Let us imagine a dashing gentleman in 1918 who could have been one of our great-grandfathers — proudly wearing a pair of cufflinks in support of his homeland called КАВКАЗЪ where other men were still wearing the traditional leather belt over chokha.
This month’s whimsical button features 3 strands of twisted wires spanning across it, separated by 3 round beads on the telephone pole, with birds perched on top. This story is inspired by a poem, “A Proclamation for Peace” which is about finding our inner strength amidst the noise and chaos in the world. Watch video of a witty talk and poetry by Kim Stafford at the February 2025 Salem Poetry Project..
How did this button get repeatedly misattributed to Charles Dickens? It is a one-piece brass pictorials with shaped cut steels typical of those that were made during the last quarter of the 19th century.
Today, this classical dance form, Bharatanatyam, is renowned for its precise movements, expressive gestures, and intricate footwork. Watch the video of young children emulating and embodying this amazing art form.
Students spend years perfecting the basics, which are the building blocks of more complex sequences.
This button is named “Love’s Messenger” in the Big Book of Buttons, which notes that the bird carrying the letter is a swallow. Swallows, for their monogamous nature, symbolize love and…
A pictogram is a graphical symbol that conveys meaning through its visual resemblance to a physical object. They are used throughout the world in signage for roads/traffic, in airports, and even for restrooms. Sports pictograms were first fully adopted for the Tokyo summer Olympics in 1964… the same year as this button!
Several years ago, I sorted my old glass buttons by color, and the red and white swirlbacks were made into a bouquet, now sitting in my wall display case. This month, the bouquet reminded me of strawberry desserts, but with zero calories. Delighted to hold it in hand, I set out to find a few more buttons for this month’s Aerogramme.
I stumbled upon a tailor shop that supplies uniforms for the Middle School, which I attended for 3 years (7th-9th grade) in the early 70s. Since I’ve taken up collecting buttons, I became curious if they still stocked any from my time there, so I decided to step inside.
