The Green Duck Co. was founded in Chicago in 1906 by George G. Greenburg and Harvey Ducgheisel. The "Greenduck" name was taken from the first syllables of their last names and was meant to be one word, but people tended to use it as two words, so the company became the Green Duck Metal Stamping Co. It produced various metal items such as license plates, tokens, clickers, watch fobs, and lithographed buttons.
In 1909, James L. Lynch retired from his various roles and duties as an officer with division 260 of the Chicago Streetcar Workers Union to enter the business as a sheet metal industrialist and producer of union badges, banners, and buttons. His early endeavors focused on “…all supplies used by labor organizations and fraternal societies”, with his first manufacturing business being located at 108 E. Washington Street in Chicago.
Little Giant Button Machine," which made buttons from one-half inch to 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
Founded in 1895, Bastian Company was incorporated as Bastian Bros. in Rochester, New York by Theron and Fredrick Bastian. They originally ran a jewelry store, but after buying the button, advertising, and specialty portion of the Pulver Chemical Co.
Donnelly/Colt Progressive Resources was founded in 1975 by couple Kate Donnelly and Clay Colt and is a small, family-owned and operated business that provides progressive materials for consciousness raising and fundraising. They started out by buying a proof press in San Francisco and began hand setting wooden and metal type and printing bumper stickers. Their first bumper sticker was “Jail to the Ex-Chief”, in reference to Richard Nixon resigning as President and their low-tech equipment forced them to make items one at a time.
Detroit Badge, sometimes known as the Detroit Badge and Novelty (Button, Political, n.d.), operated out of Detroit, Michigan dating back to 1914 (Polk’s Detroit City Directory, 1914). The company was especially active during the 1980s, a popular time for buttons, when they produced many politically themed buttons.
Dalo Button & Emblem Co., Inc. began in New York in 1963. The company was officially registered as a wholesale clothing button company from 1966-2011. The company was managed by David Schneider, who would remain in the button business for over 20 years and would later go on to become president of the company.
The American Badge Co. was founded by Frank A. Smith in 1900. The company’s products ranged from badges, buttons, banners, advertising, and novelties. Smith became the company’s treasurer, president and director of the company for many years, along with his wife, who later also became one of the company’s directors.
The Hand Tip and Novelty Company was founded by Louis A. Cutler in Manhattan, New York, in 1900. Their main products at that time were ornate brass medallions, often with a ribbon. The company’s name was derived from the process of embossing the ribbons called “tip printing,” burning gold directly onto ribbons with hot typesets. Each ribbon was imprinted by hand.
Known as “one of America’s leading manufacturers of campaign buttons”, N.G. Slater Corporation was founded in 1936 by Nathanial George Slater – initially promoting itself as an expert in “Lithographed Metal Advertising Buttons and Tabs”. Though the New York City based button manufacturer is also known for its role in the production of novelty items, such as buttons bearing the iconic yellow “Have a Nice Day” smiley face, the company is still most widely known for the buttons it has produced over the last century relating to politics and social issues.