Black text on an off-white background with a red, green, blue, and yellow filigree border with fleur-de-lis icons on the top and bottom of the border. 

Indiana State Medical Association, formerly the Indiana State Medical Society, hosted its 47th annual session on May 28 and 29, 1896, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The organization was founded in 1849 as a way to build a community of physicians and ensure consistent, quality patient care. The society provides professional resources and opportunities for their members to engage in current policies that affect the medical practice. The Indiana State Medical Association continues today as a successful professional organization, with 9,500 members as of 2024.

Red text on a yellow background with a red band around the rim 

How are animals considered pets? A pet is any animal that shares a connection with humans. The key to these owners' bonds is affection and centuries of domestication. People worldwide take pride in their pet ownership, ranging from cats, dogs, reptiles, rodents, or perhaps an exotic pet like a Capybara! Nevertheless, this vintage-style button is humorous for any pet owner.

Graphic orange, red, and pink sun and clouds background design with white text around the rim and black text in the center

The 1967 Summer of Love brought counterculture to the forefront of the American consciousness, as thousands of young people protested established social norms and ideals. Eager to seize on this movement, the 7-Up corporation began a new advertising campaign in an attempt to boost faltering sales. Branding their product the “Uncola”, they focused on the differences from other popular soft drinks of the time, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, situating 7-Up as “the alternative brand for alternative people”. The campaign ran until 1975, with the “Uncola” slogan finally being dropped in 1998.

This particular button appears to be playing on the popular song "I’ll Follow the Sun", released by The Beatles in 1964.

Red and yellow comet illustrated diagonally across a black background with a dark green and white illustration of a watch face and dark green text on the bottom.  

In 1986, Halley’s Comet made its return around Earth after 76 years around the sun. Traveling at a speed of 2,000 mph for the past 2,000 years —and as big as the island of Manhattan—Halley's rare visit to Earth was hard to miss! 

Swatch watches dominated youth culture and fashion of the 1980s. To align with this major moment in air and space history, Swatch released a limited edition timepiece: the Cosmic Encounter GS102, seen here on this companion button. Halley’s Comet won’t make another visit to Earth until 2061, but when it does perhaps Swatch watches will recreate this desirable vintage find.  

Dark blue outer rim with white text; a mercury dime is sandwiched between the front and back of the button and fills the center

The Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America (IUMSWA) was a labor union active between 1933 and 1988. It began in New Jersey, growing to protect many private shipyards on the East and Gulf coasts. The IUMSWA coverage of all production workers in the shipbuilding industry led to disputes with other craft unions, contributing to the American Federation of Labor (AFL) not recognizing the union. IUMSWA was independent until the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) allowed them to join in 1936. It slowly dissipated after the war, with the added issues of internal conflicts, mergers, and other union competition. IUMSWA’s early goals were improving wages, paid time off, and pensions for workers in private shipyards. They soon expanded to public government-owned yards. 

Teal and red sketch-style background with a black zig-zag outline, black text, and black illustrations of the symbols for "man" and "woman" in various combinations

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a condition that develops from an infection of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). AIDS typically creates a disintegration of the immune system that makes the person more susceptible to other infections. HIV/AIDS is primarily spread through unprotected sexual activity or needles contaminated with infected blood. It was first identified in humans in the United States in 1981, when previously healthy young gay men were contracting deadly diseases. In 1982, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) established four risk factors: male homosexuality, intravenous drug use, Haitian origin, and hemophilia A. As the epidemic spread, its association with gay men and drug use allowed for a damaging stigma that significantly furthered existing homophobia. 

The United States government was—and is, still—critiqued for ignoring the severity of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. President Ronald Regan first spoke the name of the disease when he identified it as a top priority in 1985 after continued outcry from activists. Between 1987 and 1998, over 300,000 people died of AIDS in the US. By 1995, one in fifteen gay men had died of AIDS. By the mid-1990s, HIV/AIDS numbers were steadily declining, with the introduction of effective treatment in 1986. 

There is still no cure for AIDS, however, preventative medication and viral suppression medicine has made great strides Infected individuals can reduce the amount of HIV in their blood to an undetectable level, allowing for long lives and dramatically reducing risks for their sexual partners. The sentence "We're All Living With Aids" and the symbols of a variety of genders and gendered pairings work to dismantle the incorrect label of "gay plague" that was rampant in the 1980s and continues to affect the cultural consciousness today. 

Red, yellow, and green bullseye background with white text and a white illustrated diamond on the green center

In 1925, California commemorated the 75th anniversary of joining the Union with an extravagant party hosted in San Francisco. The event was named the “Diamond Jubilee,” so called due to a “jewel”-encrusted decorative centerpiece and archway in Civic Center Plaza. Festivities began on September 5th, 1925, with an automobile parade followed by water exhibitions of speed boats and seaplanes. Those in attendance could visit the “Joy Zone,” an area dedicated to fun and delights, including games, circus acts, musical performances. The evening concluded at the Civic Auditorium. In the days that followed, there were more motorcades and parades, including a military car show. The final day, September 12th, saw a night-time “electrical light spectacle” parade.

Illustration of two brown monkeys on a teal and white gradient background with red text and a red rim; the monkeys are illustrated in a manner similar to Michelangelo's depiction of God and Adam in the Sistine Chapel.

The Pan-American Exposition was a world's fair event that was held in Buffalo, New York in 1901 from May 1 to November 2. The event was meant to celebrate achievements throughout the American continents, but it is mostly known as the location of President McKinley's assassination.

Raphael Beck is the artist who designed the original Pan-American Exposition logo where the continents of North America and South America are depicted as two women holding hands where the continents meet (incidentally reminiscent of Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" on the Sistine Chapel where God and Adam nearly touch hands). While there is little information on the version of the logo where the continents are characterized as monkeys, there are in fact so many monkey species native to Central America and South America that they are referred to as 'New World' monkeys. These primate families contain the only monkeys with prehensile tails, as shown on the monkeys in this button.

Sepia-toned photograph of a man wearing a brimmed hat in the center surrounded 10 small, circular, super-imposed photographs: an elephant at the top plus nine big cats going around the rim of the button

In the late 1800s, lion tamer Frank C. Bostock was traveling with his team of lions when chaos ensued as one of his lions broke loose, roaming the streets of Birmingham, UK. Thankfully, Bostock’s cleverness prevented the public from discovering the truth about the lion's whereabouts. He pretended to have captured the loose lion from the sewers and instead used his second lion as 'proof'. Thankfully, the escaped lion in the sewers was captured the next day by Bostock and his traveling crew. 

Raised by a lion tamer, Frank C. Bostock's life was unique from the very beginning. He became well known for entertaining audiences of up to 16,000 at his traveling shows, which featured acts of lion taming and kangaroo boxing! He owned over 1,000 animals, including a pet puma which was a gift from U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Bostock invented the cage for circus acts and developed taming techniques for lions using chairs, which improved both safety standards and the overall entertainment value of the show. Bostock’s innovations transformed the day's practices of traveling circus shows.

Brown text on an off-white background and rebus illustration of a frying pan, a "merry" anthropomorphic can, and a buffalo which depicts the "Pan American Exposition Buffalo, NY 1901".

The 1901 Pan-American Exposition was a prime example of a World Fair, showcasing the art, technological developments, and cultures of North America, including an exhibition where indigenous Americans, most prominently the renown Apache chief Geronimo, were put on display as a sideshow attraction. The exposition was also famed for its pioneering use of electricity, which illuminated the fairgrounds at night, and for being the site of the assassination of then-president William McKinley.

This souvenir button presents a humorous play on words, accompanied by relevant images. The included buffalo is a nod to the location of the exposition, as it was held in Buffalo, New York.