Color image of a jester wearing a red cap and a blue cape gesturing to an ornate building behind him; fireworks are shooting off above the building

The figure in the foreground is dressed as a “court jester,” a staple employee in medieval royal courts. The traditional costume of a jester included a pointed hat, or one with animal ears, adorned with bells. Sporting a silly grin, the jester would be a master of wit, and the only person in a court who could criticize and mock the aristocracy without penalization. The jester’s position within the court would give them close access to the king and other high ranking members.

In the picture, the jester is pointing to the building behind him by using just his thumb. This sort of behavior is a “gesture,” a movement of the body to convey an idea. Another example of a gesture is waving a hand at someone as a nonvocal means of saying hello. Many societies have hand gestures which can be read as an insult to the receiver. To give a “thumbs up” is a sign of approval, while the “thumbs down” demonstrates rejection or disapproval. This thumb gesture can be traced back to Ancient Rome, and has been carried through to the 21st century by being translated into emoji.

So the art on the button demonstrates a clever play on words: a jester gestures.

Button is divided in half: red background with white text above and blue and white vertical stripes on the bottom half. A white oblong shape with red text and three interlocking circles is on the striped background.

Brown text on a yellow background

The Prostitute’s Union of Massachusetts (PUMA) was an organization that was an affiliate of a prostitute’s rights organization COYOTE (Call Off Your Old Tired Ethics) which was formed by Margo St. James in 1973. Later, the parent organization for sex worker advocacy groups became the National Task Force on Prostitution. These advocacy groups focused on destigmatizing sex work, and advocating for sex workers basic human rights and decriminalization as a path to building more safety in the profession. PUMA and other advocacy groups across the country were founded off decades of sex worker advocacy and women’s rights groups. Archival material about these advocacy groups is held at a number of institutions, including Northeastern University, Duke University, and Harvard. 

Red button with black text and black image of an open checkbook. 

A share draft account is similar to a checking account at a for-profit bank, but operated by credit unions. Profit generated by a credit union is distributed among its members, representing a “share.” This represents the member’s portion of ownership in the credit union. At a for-profit bank, private investors collect the profits.

Red text with white shadowing and larger, white text against green background

White background with a color illustration of Bette Midler with black text above

Color illustration of a brown horse on a yellow background with dark brown text around the outer rim

Dr. A. C. Daniels was a veterinarian who began to make and sell his own products in the late 1870s. His medicinal compounds were available for horses, cows, sheep, and dogs, with poultry and cat formulas being developed later on. In 1903, Dr. Daniels created a wooden toy for cats, which could be filled with catnip for the domestic feline’s (and their human’s) amusement; a first for the United States. Dr. Daniels’ company still exists today marketing catnip and toys “promoting feline happiness since 1878.”

Illustration of a woman wearing a dress and hat designed to look like the American flag. She is looking over her shoulder to the viewer, holding a deck of cards designed to look like flags of other countries. Above the illustration is blue text on a white background. 

The Cheer-up Society was organized by women in South Australia during the First World War. Its goal was to provide comfort to the soldiers, lifting their spirits and encouraging them in the fight. The organization hosted “Cheer-Up Huts,” where the soldiers could assemble to relax, read, and get a meal. One method used by the society to raise funds was to hold “Button Days,” in which people could purchase pinback buttons such as this to contribute to the cause.

On April 20, 1917 the United States officially joined in fighting with the Allies, which led to celebrations in Great Britain and Australia. The American flag is included in the hand of cards Lady Liberty is holding — with these powers combined the war would soon be won.

Black and white image of a women set in a rectangular shape in the middle of the button with black text on white background on both sides of image.

White text on a blue background surrounding an illustration of a raised fist encircled by a snake