Bock is Beautiful

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Text on Button BOCK is Beautiful!
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Yellow background with pink text: a bold serif font above 1970s-style bubble letters. An pink outlined flower is used in pace of a dot on the letter "i" and yellow text is embedded into the exclamation mark. 

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Bock refers to a style of German beer, usually a lager, that dates back to the 14th century. There are several types of Bock beer (Maibock, Doppelbock, Eisbock, and Weizenbock) with varying strengths and flavor profiles. Generally, Bocks are known for their malty and sweet taste, offering a relatively high alcohol content while remaining mildly bitter. Historically, Bavarian monks would consume Bocks during times of fasting, and some uphold the tradition today. 

In the present day, there are Bock beer festivals held globally, generally to celebrate the beginning of Spring. The most notable one of these festivals in the United States is Bockfest in Cincinnati, Ohio, held annually in the first weekend of March. Attendees can spectate a parade, participate in the Bockfest 5K, or become that year's "Sausage Queen" through winning a series of games. 

Sources

Shatkin, E. (2011, April 20). The man who drank only beer, part 1: Interview with a part-time monk. LA Weekly. https://www.laweekly.com/the-man-who-drank-only-beer-part-1-interview-with-a-part-time-monk/
Brewers Association. (n.d.). Beer style guidelines. https://www.brewersassociation.org/edu/brewers-association-beer-style-guidelines/
Bockfest. (n.d.). History.  https://www.bockfest.com/history.html

 

Catalog ID BE0204

Dolly for President

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Text on Button Dolly FOR PRESIDENT
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A photograph of Dolly Parton wearing yellow with her signature blonde hair in the center surrounded by a red border with white stars; the bottom section is blue with bold white text.

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Though she has never run for office, Dolly Parton became the kind of public figure fans imagined as a perfect leader: kind, resilient, generous, and down-to-earth. Over the decades, she has won admiration not just for her music but also for her philanthropy and humor, making her one of the most loved celebrities in the world. The slogan “Dolly for President” reflects a wish for a leader who embodies positivity and compassion rather than politics. Buttons like this have become popular among fans because they combine humor and affection with the familiar style of campaign memorabilia. 

Sources

BBC. (2020). How Dolly Parton became the world’s best-loved celebrity. BBC Culture. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20201204-how-dolly-parton-became-the-worlds-best-loved-celebrity

Heller, S. (2022). The Daily Heller: Buttonmania! PRINT. https://www.printmag.com/daily-heller/the-daily-heller-buttonmania/

Catalog ID HU0239

Old Style Ski with Style

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Text on Button I Ski with Style HEILEMAN'S PURE GENUINE Old Style
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White background with red text on top; below are blue illustrated skiers shown in motion, one skiing downhill with poles extended and the other smiling and carving through the snow. On the right side, there is a colorful shield-shaped logo featuring blue, yellow, green, and red accents and white and blue text.

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Old Style beer was first brewed in 1902 by the G. Heileman Brewing Company in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It became a popular regional beer across the Midwest, especially in Chicago, where it was sold at Wrigley Field during Chicago Cubs games. The brand’s advertising used slogans that played on the word “style” to connect the beer with everyday activities.

The “I Ski with Style” button is an example of this kind of promotional item. It connects the brand to winter activities and shows how beer marketing in the 1970s and 1980s used fun slogans and collectible items to attract loyal customers.

Sources

Ballpark Digest. (2017). The glory days of baseball and beer marketing. https://ballparkdigest.com/2017/02/02/the-glory-days-of-baseball-and-beer-marketing/

Industrial Artifacts. (n.d.). History of Heileman’s Old Style Lager. https://industrialartifacts.net/blogs/theblog/heilemans-old-style-lager

Old Style Beer. (n.d.). Old Style news. https://oldstylebeer.com/pages/old-style-news

The New Chicagoan. (2018). Old Style. https://thenewchicagoan.com/chicago/2018/5/19/old-style

Catalog ID BE0203

Ronald Reagan & George Orwell in 1984

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Text on Button RONALD REAGAN & GEORGE ORWELL in 1984
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Red, bold text on a white background

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The slogan "Ronald Reagan & George Orwell in 1984" suggests parallels between Reagan’s Cold War rhetoric, patriotic messaging, and the authoritarian themes in Orwell’s work, with 1984 being both Reagan's reelection year and the title of one of Orwell's most famous novels. The button reflects political opposition in the 1980s and the enduring cultural power of Orwell’s novel as a critique of propaganda and state control.

 

Sources

Pankowski, Edward, "We Love Big Brother: An Analysis of the Relationship between Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four And Modern Politics in the United States and Europe" (2018). Honors Scholar Theses. 559. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/559

Catalog ID PO1299

Immoral Minority Member

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Text on Button IMMORAL MINORITY MEMBER
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Red background white text around the top and bottom rims; white text on a black band across the center

Curl Text LARRY FOX BUTTONS/BUMPER STICKERS [illegible] VALLEY STREAM, N.Y. 11582 (516) 791-7929 ©1980
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The Immoral Minority was created to oppose the Moral Majority. The Moral Majority was formed in 1979 by Jerry Falwell, and supported Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election. The Moral Majority wanted prayers in schools, a ban on abortion, and an end to Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) with the Soviet Union. They also opposed the ERA. By calling themselves the Moral Majority, they made their opposition the Immoral Minority, a name which some liberals seized with pride. A group formed in Olympia, Washington who called themselves the Immoral Minority.

Sources

The Associated Press. (1987, July 3). Immoral Minority drinks to success, the disbands. Eugene Register Guard.

Catalog ID CL0717

Free Tibet

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Text on Button FREE TIBET
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The whole button features a stylized design inspired by the Tibetan flag with a white border: the background is divided into alternating red and blue rays radiating from a central yellow sunburst with yellow  text across the rays. At the bottom of the button is a black-and-white silhouette of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet.

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The 1990s were a pivotal era in the global movement advocating for Tibetan independence and human rights. During this period, Tibet gained prominence in Western consciousness, particularly among youth and activist communities. The movement was galvanized by events such as the 1987–1989 Tibetan unrest, where pro-independence protests in Tibet were met with violent suppression, drawing international attention.

A significant development in the 1990s was the establishment of Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) in 1994. Founded in New York City by a group of Tibetans and young supporters, SFT aimed to leverage the influence of youth to advocate for Tibetan independence and human rights. Their efforts included organizing campus events, educational campaigns, and direct actions to raise awareness about the situation in Tibet.

In 1996, the movement reached a cultural milestone with the Tibetan Freedom Concert, organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund. Held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the concert featured performances by prominent artists and attracted over 100,000 attendees. It was the largest benefit concert since Live Aid and marked a significant moment in the fusion of music and activism for social causes.

Sources

Students for a Free Tibet. (n.d.). Our history. Retrieved from https://studentsforafreetibet.org/about/our-history/

American Songwriter. (2025, June 16). On this day in 1996, Tibetan Freedom Concert kicks off the largest music festival since Live Aid. Retrieved from https://americansongwriter.com/on-this-day-in-1996-tibetan-freedom-concert-kicks-off-the-largest-music-festival-since-live-aid/

 

Catalog ID CA0975

Budweiser Clydesdale

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Text on Button Budweiser® Clydesdale
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White background featuring an illustration of a clydesdale horse in harness in the center with light red text along the top edge in a curved layout

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The Budweiser Clydesdales were first introduced in 1933, when August A. Busch, Jr. and Adolphus Busch III gifted their father a six-horse hitch to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. Quickly becoming a marketing symbol, the horses toured New York, New England, and Washington, D.C., even delivering beer to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Today, the Clydesdales remain an emblem of Budweiser’s heritage and quality, making appearances nationwide and are celebrated icons of Budweiser’s marketing, most famously through their long-running Super Bowl commercials.

Sources

Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC. (n.d.). Budweiser Clydesdales. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://www.anheuser-busch.com/about/clydesdale

Catalog ID BE0202

Tucker Torpedo

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Text on Button the Tucker Torpedo
Image Description

Light blue background featuring a red 1948 Tucker Torpedo automobile; the text reads “the Tucker” in large black script above the car and “Torpedo” in a smaller black cursive font below the car

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The Tucker Torpedo was the original name for Preston Tucker’s innovative car design in the late 1940s. The final version, called the Tucker 48, stood out for its advanced features like a rear engine, a pop-out windshield, and a center headlight that moved with the steering wheel. Even though only 51 cars were made, the Tucker remains a symbol of American ambition and creativity. 

Public interest in Tucker’s story picked up again after the 1988 film Tucker: The Man and His Dream, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Jeff Bridges. Since then, the Tucker 48 has attracted a devoted fan base, and items celebrating its history, such as buttons like this one, are still popular with car enthusiasts and collectors.

Sources

Ebert, R. (1988). Tucker: The man and his dream movie review (1988). RogerEbert.com. https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tucker-the-man-and-his-dream-1988
Smithsonian Magazine. (2018). The Tucker was the 1940s car of the future. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-tucker-was-the-1940s-car-of-the-future-135008742/
Tucker Automobile Club of America. (n.d.). Tucker history. https://www.tuckerclub.org/tucker-history/

Tucker Corporation. (n.d.). Memorabilia. https://www.tuckercorporation.com/memorabilia-

Catalog ID AD1059