Blue text on a white background and a symbol with PNCo on the top left.

The Parisian Novelty Company was a button producing company which was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1898. In 2008, the button portion of the Parisian Novelty Company was sold to the Matchless Group and renamed Matchless Parisian Novelty, Inc.

The button addresses "Mr. Banker" which draws attention to the light-hearted profession of button sales compared to the stereotypically stodgy environment of a bank. However, it then explains that buttons, though "gimmicky," may be beneficial to the advertisement of a bank. The button also provides contact information for a salesperson by the name of Louis L. Joseph, jr.

Red outlined Santa face with googly eyes framed by red text over white background. 

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Blue circle with white stars encircled by red circle encircled by red text and stars over white background with stake through the center. 

George McGovern (1922-2012) was a democratic candidate for US President in 1972. In addition to supporting abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana, he became the first US Congressman to speak out against the Vietnam War in 1963. McGovern was not a peace dove. He served in the Army Air Force (1943-1945) during World War II (1939-1945).  McGovern flew thirty-five combat missions while piloting a B-24 Liberator, earning him the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in European Theatre.

Marijuana print text over American flag (featuring marijuana leaves in place of stars) background. Metal clip glued to the top right of the button face. 

Mirror in the center of white text on blue background. 

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Black text on light wood-colored background.

A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation. The fair's motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms." The fair held many different events including logrolling, in which lumberjacks or other competitors attempt to balance on a log the longest while it is rolling in the water. The contest involves two lumberjacks, each on one end of a log floating in the river. One starts rolling the log, and the other is forced to keep up. The lumberjacks try to stay on the log while attempting to cause the competitor to lose their balance.

In the 1920s and 1930s, log rolling was popular as a spectator sport. A group of log rollers headed by Jimmy Murray toured the country, attending state and county fairs, exhibiting their skills to the public through trick and fancy log rolling.  The 1933 world champion of log rolling, Wilber Marx, was featured in a popular news reel of the time, and he gained national popularity.  This group of log rollers would have been the featured performers at the 1933 World’s Fair log rolling exhibition.

Image of building surrounded by blue text encircled by blue border over yellowed background. 

This button was used to celebrate Liberty State Bank & Trust Company's formal opening of their new building on April 1, 1928. The bank was operated out of Wilkes Barre, PA on North Main Street.  The original bank was opened in 1922 and the Trust Department was established on December 10, 1923.

Black and white portrait of Leroy Paige above black text over yellowed background. Orange hanging ribbon with orange bat and white baseball charms. 

Leroy Satchel Paige was a pitching legend in the Negro Leagues and later in Major League Baseball. Born on July 7, 1906 in Mobile, Alabama, Paige worked as a luggage carrier at a train station in his youth. He would carry several bags on a rigged pole to earn more pay, and his coworker commented he looked like a "walking satchel tree," thus his nickname was born.

Paige developed his pitching skills in Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs, Alabama under the guidance of his coach, Edward Byrd. He started his professional career in 1926 in the Southern Negro League and played for the Chattanooga Black Barons. Paige quickly became a crowd favorite. When Jackie Robinson broke the color in 1948, Paige signed with the Cleveland Indians as the oldest Rookie at the age of 42 and was the first African American pitcher in the American League. Joe DiMaggio commented that Paige was "the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced."

Paige was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. He passed away on June 8, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Compass nestled between black text over yellowed background. 

Knight & Wall Company was a hardware store established in 1884 by Perry G. Wall, II and his brother-in-law, Henry L. Knight in Tampa, Florida.  Knight & Wall was a retail and wholesale business that serviced most of south Florida and a branch in Cuba for nearly 80 years. 

The store was first started by Henry Knight and Perry Wall in 1884 under the name Clarke and Knight.  Knight represented Henry L. Knight and Clarke (Edward Clarke) represented the uncle and financial guardian for Perry Wall.  Perry Wall was only 17 years old when the store was established so it remained under the name Clarke and Knight until Perry Wall turned 21 in 1888 and was then changed to Knight & Wall.

Knight & Wall remained in business until the 1970's when the company was sold to Alchar Hardware of Miami.

Baby boy above black text over blue background. 

(Additional Text: Congratulations, Dad! In all the world there is no greater joy Than being the father of a new boy! No teasure's so rare as that little lad. No pleasure compares to being called "Dad" Compliments of SWIFT'S MEATS FOR BABIES)

Swift and Company established itself as a meat distributor in 1855, expanding the business from Gustavus Franklin Swift being the sole employee to its current place as a multi-million dollar business owned by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. Investors.  Swift advertised its baby food heavily in the 1950s, using, in addition to buttons, Norman Rockwell paintings in their magazine advertisements to represent the joy babies got from eating Swift baby food.