A Touch of Class

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Text on Button A Touch of Class Thornton Community College
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Orange text and illustration on white background.

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85 - HIcks

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Thorton Community College was previously the name of present day South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The college was founded in 1927 under the name Thorton Junior College, but changed to Thorton Community College in 1969. The name was once again changed in 1988 to its present name to more accurately reflect its location. In March of 1982, the theme for the open house event for the college was A Touch of Class. The term “a touch of class” was used to showcase all of the positive things the school was doing for its students, faculty, and community.

Sources

College staff, students push image of 'class'. (1982, March 18). Southtown Star, 10(76), p. 7.

History of the College. (n.d.). South Suburban College. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://www.ssc.edu/about-ssc/ssc-history/

 

Catalog ID AD0925

Hammond Organ USA

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Text on Button HAMMOND ORGAN MADE IN THE U.S.A. MADE FOR YOU!
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White text on blue stars and red stripes background

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Invented by American engineer Laurens Hammond and first manufactured in 1935, the Hammond Organ initially offered a lower-cost alternative to both the piano and the wind-driven pipe organ. The instrument's unique sound and affordability quickly caught on with night club owners and jazz musicians and was eventually embraced by musicians throughout the 60s and 70s as a vital component in progressive rock bands such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer. While earlier advertisements remained targeted towards churches and "cozy family parlor rooms", the instrument's "unprecedented sonic versatility" inevitably found its true home with musicians in popular music genres.

The original organ worked by generating a variety of unique sounds through the utilization of a rotating metal tone wheel. This produced an electric current which, in turn, was caught with an electromagnetic pickup. The resulting sound was strengthened by an amplifier and broadcast with a speaker -- most commonly a Leslie speaker, as it was thought that this brand worked best with the organ's sound. Initially, the musician would select the sound type by pulling the appropriate slide bar before playing.

After a failed attempt to utilize integrated circuits in the instrument's make-up, the company sold its name to the Suzuki Musical Instrument Corporation in 1985, which now manufactures digitally-propelled varieties of the organ.

Sources

Hammond Organ Company, est. 1928. (2019). Made in Chicago Museum. Retrieved from https://www.madeinchicagomuseum.com/single-post/hammond-organ-co

The Hammond Story. (n.d.). Hammond. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://hammondorganco.com/the-hammond-story

 

Catalog ID AD0927

Sunbeams Sunflower

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Text on Button SUNBEAMS
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White text on blue lower background with yellow flower on red upper background.

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DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO.ELGIN NEW YORK BOSTON

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The Sunbeams is a youth program first put together by the Salvation Army in 1921 representing an offshoot of the Life-Saving Girl Guards. Early on, the program offered a “character building ministry” for young girls that promoted their spiritual, mental, and social growth. Through the program, girls ranging in grade from first to fifth improved their relationship with God and gained self-confidence all while having fun. The Sunbeams, much like the Girl Scouts, took field trips, camped, conducted service projects, and earned emblems for special achievements. Today, the Sunbeams continue to educate young girls about Christian fellowship and encourage them to give back to their communities through generous acts of service.

Sources

Salvation Army Milton Corps. (n.d.). The Salvation Army. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://pendel.salvationarmy.org/easternpa/Youth 

Sunbeams button. (n.d.).  National Museum of American History. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1317480 

Catalog ID AD0928

Sunbeams Windowpane

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Text on Button SUNBEAMS
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White text with illustration of windowpane,sunshine, and green grain on purple background.

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DAVID C. COOK PUBLISHING CO. ELGIN ILLINOIS MADE IN USA

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The Sunbeams is a youth program first put together by the Salvation Army in 1921 representing an offshoot of the Life-Saving Girl Guards. Early on, the program offered a “character building ministry” for young girls that promoted their spiritual, mental, and social growth. Through the program, girls ranging in grade from first to fifth improved their relationship with God and gained self-confidence all while having fun. The Sunbeams, much like the Girl Scouts, took field trips, camped, conducted service projects, and earned emblems for special achievements. Today, the Sunbeams continue to educate young girls about Christian fellowship and encourage them to give back to their communities through generous acts of service.

Sources

Salvation Army Milton Corps. (n.d.). The Salvation Army. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://pendel.salvationarmy.org/easternpa/Youth 

Sunbeams button. (n.d.).  National Museum of American History. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1317480 

Catalog ID AD0929

Use Colonial Salt

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Text on Button USE COLONIAL SALT
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Blue text on yellow background

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The Colonial Salt Company was founded in Akron, Ohio, by John Long Severance who organized and became the President of the company in 1901. Colonial Salt was bought by General Foods in 1945 to make the Diamond Crystal-Colonial Salt Division of the General Foods company. In 1985, General Foods was acquired by Philip-Morris Companies, now the Altria Group, Inc., for $5.6 billion, the largest non-oil acquisition of its time.

Sources

Carol Litchfield collection on the history of salt. (2018). Hagley Museum and Library Archives. https://findingaids.hagley.org/repositories/2/resources/699 

Severance, John Long. (n.d.) Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved December 2, 2024, from https://case.edu/ech/articles/s/severance-john-long 

Catalog ID AD0930

New Life Chick

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Text on Button NewLife
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Illustration of chick hatching from egg and cross with black text on yellow background

Curl Text HAPPY PRODUCTS INC ·123 N. CHICAGO ST · JOLIET,IL 60412 ·(815)722-2010
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The image of a chick breaking out of an egg symbolizes rebirth and beginning a 'new life' in Christianity. This imagery has been associated with Easter, where eggs and chicks represent resurrection and renewal in Christian tradition. Many Christian churches and ministries adopt the name 'New Life,' reflecting their mission to make disciples and spread Jesus's teachings.

In this case, the phrase 'New Life' probably refers to New Life Church, a large, multi-site, non-denominational evangelical church based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The term 'chick' is likely a typo or misunderstanding of 'church.' It could also have been used playfully by women's church groups to identify themselves as members of the church.

Happy Products Inc. (Joliet, Illinois) produced novelty pin-back buttons during the late 1970s and 1980s, with collectors frequently associating slogan pins with the company. Its distinctive “H” trademark was registered in 1983, with first use recorded in 1981.

Sources

New Life Church. (n.d.). Our history. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://newlife.global/our-history/

New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado). (2025, October 2). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 28, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Life_Church_(Colorado_Springs,_Colorado)&oldid=1314615353 

​​USPTO.report. (n.d.). H – Happy Products, Inc. trademark registration (Serial No. 73360262) [Trademark record]. https://uspto.report/TM/73360262

Waxman, O. B. (2023, April 6). Here’s why Easter eggs are a thing. Time. https://time.com/4732984/easter-eggs-history-origins/ 

Catalog ID AD0931

Ask Me About a Fun Ship Cruise

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Text on Button Ask me about a "Fun Ship"® Cruise
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Red text with blue and red illustration of palm tree and ship on white background.

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The Fun Ship Cruise is a line of cruises offered from Carnival Cruise Lines. Since the 1970's, Carnival has been advertising their cruises as Fun Ships, which are vacation destinations in themselves. The focus of Carnival is not only on the ports of call they take guests, but ensuring their ships are packed with fun and activities, as they were the first cruise line to implement this into their ships. Fun ships have live entertainment, a full and varied list of activities daily, and even the option to relax. The idea is that the guest on the ship will have enough options to never feel bored, but to always feel entertained. The “fun” is manifested throughout the journey including the way staff leaves towels for guests in their rooms, which is to fold them into origami animals daily.

Sources

Carnival Cruise Lines (2023). https://www.carnival.com/

Catalog ID AM0051

Mark Snoopy

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Text on Button Mark
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Illustration of hand drawn Snoopy with red marker text

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This illustration is likely a fan drawing of Snoopy as the Flying Ace. First appearing in a Charles M. Schultz comic strip on October 4, 1950, Snoopy is an iconic beagle passionate about writing and imagination. The Flying Ace is one of Snoopy’s most recognizable personas in which he often imagines himself battling the Red Baron. Introduced in 1965, Snoopy, dressed in a flying leather cap, goggles, and scarf, transforms his doghouse into a Sopwith Camel biplane and takes off into the skies battling against the Red Baron, based on a real German flying ace, Manfred von Richtofen. Snoopy’s iconic phrase, “Curse you Red Baron!” is often heard throughout the aerial battles. The journey of the Flying Ace exaggerates the life of WWI aviators to delight the readers’ hearts and imaginations.

Sources

Charles M. Shultz Museum. (n.d.). Snoopy and the Red Baron. Retrieved June 9, 2021, from https://schulzmuseum.org/traveling-exhibitions/rent-a-traveling-exhibit/snoopy-red-baron/

Peanuts. (n.d.). Snoopy. Retrieved June 9, 2021, from https://www.peanuts.com/about/snoopy

Catalog ID AR0440

Nnnyahh

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Text on Button NNNYAHH!
Image Description

Illustration of boy with tongue out on white background with yellow speech bubble and blue text.

Curl Text MADE IN HONG KONG
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Gum ball machine prizes, including humorous pinback buttons, were popular throughout the 20th century. Machines originally intended for distributing round candies became commonly used along with small round capsules to distribute tiny toys to friendly passersby.

“Nnnyahh,” is an idiom referencing a popular children’s taunt, either derived from None of your business, a popular deflective saying associated with the comeback, “Mind your own business,” or derived from the sing-song chant ‘Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah’ or even the word ‘nyah’ alone as it is now considered in itself an expression of contempt or superiority.

Sources

Candy Machines. (n.d.). History of the gumball machine. https://www.candymachines.com/History-of-the-Gumball-Machine.aspx

Good Luxe Vintage. (2024). Vintage pinback buttons – 60s 70s misc. novelty pins – you choose – genuine vintage … [auction listing]. ATTIC. https://attic.city/item/AbyK/vintage-pinback-buttons-60s-70s-misc.-novelty-pins-you-choose-genuine-vintage-pin-button-/good-luxe-vintage

Greene, B. (1992). Choosing the nunya option. Chicago Tribune. https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/01/05/choosing-the-nunya-option/

Halder, S. (n.d.). Antique gumball machine: history, manufacturers, and value. Valuable Antique Detector. https://www.txantiquemall.com/antique-gumball-machine/

Nice Things Emporium. (n.d.). Lot vintages 12 pinback buttons alien cowboy teacher spider humor sarcasm 70s [eBay listing]. eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/256541255996  

nunya. (n.d.) McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/nunya

nyah. (n.d.). Oxford Dictionaries. https://web.archive.org/web/20151204113427/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/nyah

Wells, J. (2011). Nuh-nuh. John Wells’s phonetic blog. http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com/2011/07/nuh-nuh.html


 

Catalog ID AR0441

Man holding umbrella over chimney

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Black illustration of man sitting on a roof holding an umbrella over a chimney in the rain.

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Additional Information Leaders in the chimney and venting industry may join the National Chimney Sweep Guild (NCSG) to showcase their membership and promote high levels of skill and safety. The guild is a non-profit organization which promotes the success of the chimney and venting businesses. Guild members can benefit from industry-leading education opportunities and are able to advocate for the industries.
Sources
Kuboushek, E. (n.d.). Home. National Chimney Sweep Guild. https://www.ncsg.org/
Catalog ID AR0442