Image of man driving car with black text on yellow background. When turned, woman appears in car and hearts surround them.

This is a lenticular graphic that uses a specific lens that allows the viewer to see different images depending on the angle the pin is viewed. One image shows a single man in a convertible with the text “Have Car,” and when the button is tilted, we see he is no longer alone, and the text reads “Will Date.”  The image is made of two graphics cut into strips and interlaced together. That graphic is then printed directly on the back of the plastic lens. The lens is a special plastic made of individual cylindrical lenses (lenticules) that perfectly align with the interlaced image. The lenticules isolate and magnify the image underneath. Tilting the lens creates the effect of the image changing back and forth depending on the angle of the button.

White text on green background. Button is affixed to yellow card with red writing that measures 6 x 9. Card reads: There are a hundred ways to get a customer's attention. Here's an example. Pin this button on next time you're talking advertising specialties to a bank prospect. BANK: 100% interest? Who are you kidding? What's that all about? ANSWER: Funny you should ask. It's hard not to read a button, isn't it? What it means is that every-one who sees this button has expressed an interest in it --- especially in a bank. Now, about your promotion... Union bug ASI5951

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Blue calendar with white text and numbers over images of apple picking supplies in orchard and watermelons.

Pocket diaries, including pocket calendars, were an extremely popular item from the time of their invention in the late 18th century through to the development of digital options in the mid 20th century. During the latter half of the 19th century, advertisers began printing calendars as promotional items to increase their sales and drive business. As a producer of novelty and advertising goods, Whitehead & Hoag produced a monthly calendar button between 1896 and through at least November, 1897. Today, examples from this series are rare.

Top third of button features black illustration of man with beard and red text with black and yellow background. Middle third features black text on yellow background. Lower third features black text on orange background.

In 1958, during the Sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, of the County of Cortland, a festival was held in New York to celebrate the history of the area.

The town of Homer had a long parade down Main Street, complete with floats and horses and bewhiskered members of the “Brothers of the Brush.” Being hirsute was not only “in," it was required of male citizens, or you paid a two dollar “fine.”

The Brothers of the Brush are a group of socially conscience men who honor the memory of their states' founders by growing beards. They usually wear a top hat and bow tie, dapperly dressed with well-groomed breads and mustaches during celebrations. There are sometimes ceremonies during celebrations where townspeople act as mourners in a funeral procession carrying a old fashioned razor to be buried or thrown over a bridge and then to announce that the men of the town have no use for razors or shaving.

Brown ink creates glasses and mustache smiley faces on yellow background with felt hats that have gold text names on them. Pins are affixed to tan holiday greeting card that measures 5 x 7. Card reads Happy Holidays From~ ROBIN TOM your little ol' Button Makers ASI5951 HAND TIP & NOVELTY CO., INC

The Little Ole’ Button Maker was a registered trademark of the Hand Tip and Novelty Co. for the promotional buttons in their line, based out of Newburg, New York. The trademark was registered in 1970 and notes the first commercial use of the Little Ole’ Button Maker was in 1965. The trademark expired in 1993. Hand and Tip Novelty Co. eventually became Hantico Line which was a New York City and Newburgh New York advertising specialty company. Hantico was later purchased by Uniflex, a bag manufacturer in 1992. In 1995, Uniflex Inc. sold Hantico to American Greenwood Inc. that had a similar promotional product line.

The Hand Tip and Novelty Co. was founded in Manhattan, New York in 1900 and was a manufacturer of promotional items such as ornate brass medallions and political buttons. As advertisements became popular in the 1950’s, there was a shift towards utilizing buttons for promoting items, people, and events. Hand and Tip Novelty Co. eventually became Hantico Line which was a specialty advertising company which later moved its base to Newburg, New York in 1984. Though the Hantico Line produced other items such as ribbons, clips, and clipboards, buttons were always the main focus of the company.

White banner with blue text across center. White circle with blue text and blue illustration in smaller circle surrounded by white text on blue background.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a labor union that represents nearly 750,000 workers and retirees in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama, Guam, and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or inside wiremen, in the construction industry and lineworkers and other employees of public utilities. The union also represents some workers in the computer, telecommunications, broadcasting, and other fields related to electrical work.

IBEW was founded in 1891, two years before George Westinghouse lit up the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition with AC current and homes and businesses in the United States began receiving electricity. The local 110 chapter celebrated it's 100 year anniversary in 2012. Their chapter had originally begun in 1910 as eight workers under the banner of 23 who later formed the chapter.

Red text and illustration of Santa on white background.

The Magic Forest is an amusement park located in Lake George, NY along Route 9. Opened in 1963 by Arthur Gillette, it featured the largest Uncle Sam statue in the world (as of May 9, 2019, the statue has since moved back home to Danbury, CT), a magic show, and cottages and attractions which follow the themes of children's tales and adventure stories. The park's famous Santa Claus overlooks the parking lot. Magic Forest was absorbed into a larger park named ‘Lake George Expedition Park’ in 2019. Magic Forest also has a small petting zoo where children can feed the animals. Magic Forest has accumulated the majority of their rides from defunct or failing amusement parks and these were repaired by Gillette and his family business. Gillette never met an old amusement ride that he couldn’t find a home for, bringing rides in from at least seven or eight other theme parks.

Blue text and image of speedboat on white background. MYR is outlined in white and blue.

The Horace E. Dodge cup race was a championship race for hydroplane motorboats held in Detroit, Michigan. Millionare manufacturer Horace E. Dodge, son of the automobile manufacturer, was an avid boat enthusiast and racer (1925-1930) manufacturing boats from his Detroit plant from 1930-1936 during the Great Depression.

William Edward "Bill" Muncey (November 12, 1928 – October 18, 1981) was an American hydroplane racing legend from Detroit, Michigan. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame and hydroplane historian Dan Cowie described Muncey as "without question, the greatest hydroplane racer in history." Muncey was nicknamed "Mr. Unlimited" and won 62 races, which was the most races in the history of the sport until Dave Villwock broke his record in 2011.

From 1970 to 1975, Bill drove for his old friend Lee Schoenith's Gale Enterprises team from Detroit. Under the sponsorship of MYR SHEET METAL in 1970, Muncey won three races and finished third in National High Points. This marked the first time that Bill had won more than one race in any one season since 1962. Muncey and the Myr won the Horace E. Dodge Cup in Detroit.

Photograph of Red Buttons wearing a winter hat in the center with white text and stars surrounding on red background.

Red Buttons was born as Aaron Chwatt in New York in 1919. He got a job as an entertaining bellhop at a Bronx tavern at age 16. There, the orchestra leader started calling him “Red Buttons” due to his red hair and the bellhop uniform. A stage name was created. Buttons had a movie career from 1944-2005 including The Poseidon Adventure. He had his own TV variety show from 1952-1955. In 1953, he recorded a hit record, “Strange Things are Happening/The Ho-Ho Song.”

This artifact misquotes the “The Ho-Ho Song” refrain as actual lyrics list, “Ho-Ho, He-He, Hoo-Hoo.”

Red text surrounding image of man. When turned, the man appears to be a masked demon.

The comedy horror film, My Demon Lover, is the story of a young vagrant musician in New York who has been cursed to morph into a various demon-like creatures whenever he becomes interested in a woman he meets. Directed by Charlie Loventhal and released by New Line Cinema on April 24th in 1987, the movie stars actor, Scott Valentine, who is most well-known for his reoccurring role as Mallory Keaton's dopey artist boyfriend, "Nick Moore", on the hit sitcom, Family Ties from 1985 to 1989.

Though the film was poorly received by critics, it grossed $3,922,273 in theaters worldwide and now often appears on B-movie review sites due to its fantastical plot lines, "cheesy" special effects, and as a general relic for fans of 80s-themed nostalgia.