Black text around the rim separated by two line-drawn baseballs surroundeding an illustration of an orange and black tiger with a long tail that wraps around it to form a circle.

Malcolm W. Bingay's persistence and tenacity led to his meteoric rise through the ranks of the newspaper industry in Detroit. He began his career as a printer's devil after being expelled from school. He cut his teeth at the Detroit News and became the managing editor at the age of 29. 

Bingay came into his own working at the Detroit Free Press. Still he was not a household name, preferring to write under the nom de plume "Iffy the Dopester." Iffy was personified as a baseball wizard by Floyd Nixon, the art director at Detroit Free Press. Bingray wrote the sports column and Nixon created tiger cartoons to celebrate the Detroit Tigers’ wins. Iffy the Dopester buttons became must have flair during Tiger games at Comerica Park.

Red text on a color illustration of native Alaskan totem poles and structures situated in an Alaskan landscape

Located in the southeast tip of Alaska, Wrangell is a small coastal town surrounded by natural beauty and resources. It borders Tongass National Forest and welcomes visitors to explore its wild landscape and cultural heritage as a historically Stikine Tlingit area. Those inclined to watch Alaskan wildlife might see black and brown bears feasting on salmon at the Forest Service-built Anan Bear and Wildlife Observatory.

Downtown Wrangell is home to the Kiks.àdi Totem Park, which was built to honor Kiks.àdi Clan Chief Kahlteen. After its purchase by Sealaska in 1987, the park was transferred to Wrangell’s tribal government in 2018 and is a popular destination.

Blue and red bold text accented by thick blue and red lines on a white background

Jane Byrne (1933-2014) was the first woman mayor of a major city in the United States, serving as Chicago’s 50th mayor from 1979 to 1983. She lost her bid for re-election in 1983 and 1987, losing the Democratic primary to 51st mayor Harold Washington. Learn about our Washington buttons here. As mayor, Byrne prompted open-air farmers’ markets, started the Taste of Chicago festival, initiated handgun restrictions, declared the first Gay Pride Parade Day in 1981, and welcomed the filming of “The Blues Brothers.” 

Her success in the 1979 election was credited largely to her incumbent opponent Michael Bilandic’s approval dropping due to his lack of plowing efforts and public transportation management during a severe blizzard. She ran on popular sentiments of rebelling against the political machine, which led to disappointment from supporters when she aligned with the establishments and aldermen she had previously disputed. Her term saw high turnover in administration, battles against unions, and contention with the media. The shift she instigated toward the arts, music, and tourism in Chicago has left a lasting impact on the city. 

Blue background with white text and diagonal white lines radiating from a white half-circle on the bottom center

The Harold Washington Party (HWP) was created and incorporated in Illinois as a Chicago political party in 1989. The impetus for its formation was the passing of its namesake, the mayor who had recently died in office. Harold Washington was Chicago’s first Black mayor. A Democratic former lawyer and congressman, Washington won two terms in mayoral office but died just seven months into his second term. The HWP focused on mobilizing Black voters who were disappointed with the mainline Democratic Party and a noted lack of dedication in the party to addressing issues facing Black Americans.

The party nominated Timothy Evans for the 1989 special election for mayor, who received 41% of the vote; they also slated candidates for other positions throughout Cook County. In 1990, a court decision eliminated HWP nominees from ballot access after criticism that votes were being diverted from the Democratic Party. Journalistic reports state that this led to an increase in support for Democratic Party candidates.

Black and red text on a gold background with a black-outlined red half-circle on the bottom

Golden Gate International Exposition was held at Treasure Island—a man-made island created for the fair—in San Francisco from February 18-October 29, 1939, and again from May 25-September 29, 1940. The event, dubbed “Pageant of the Pacific,” showcased achievements in art, architecture, agriculture, culture, and industry in partnership with other Pacific nations, ultimately attracted 17,000,000 million visitors. Despite attendance numbers, the Exposition was considered a monetary failure and temporarily closed, eventually reopening seven months later. 

Chrysler Motors, formally Chrysler Corporation and currently known as Stellantis North America, was founded in 1925 by Walter Chrysler. It is one of the three leading competitors in the early automotive industry in the United States, along with Ford and General Motors. Chrysler Motors was an exhibitor at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, showcasing their automotive advancements as part of the celebration of the Western United States' industrial advancements. Chrysler Motors went on to create and sell affordable cars and auto parts for decades. In 2009, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a merge with Fiat. In 2021, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US once again made another historical change within its company's history by merging with Stellantis North America.

Blue, white, and black stripes around the rim with black text on the white stripe and a color painted illustration of Mount Rainier in the center

Mount Rainier National Park is in western Washington state and hosts the most prominent peak in the Cascade Mountain Range. It was established in 1899 and is the fifth park in the United States national park system. The Stratovolcano mountain has a summit of 14,410 feet and is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, forests, meadows, and 280 species of wildlife. Mount Rainier has 28 named glaciers and many unnamed snowfields. 

Rainier is a popular site for skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. In February of 1922, the first winter ascent of the mountain was completed and filmed. In the warmer seasons, hiking and climbing are frequent activities. In the late summer, wildflowers heavily decorate the scenery. The park sees approximately 1.4 million visitors per year. Its visitor centers are called Sunrise, Paradise Jackson, and Ohanapecosh. Paradise is the most visited section, offering exhibits, ranger programs, films, and an historic inn. 

Yellow and black background with yellow and black text

One of the many items produced during the counterculture movement of the 1960s, this humorous, pro-sex, anti-government button seemingly pokes fun at the idiom “as American as apple pie”. Follow patriotic ideals, it espouses, and you’ll wind up sterile - both physically and mentally. This button, among other materials such as bumper stickers, banners, and leaflets created by radicals of the era, was of great concern to conservatives, who felt they undermined their own values.

Black text on a yellow background

One of the many items produced during the counterculture movement of the 1960s, this humorous, self-referential button appears to be capitalizing on the “button craze” of the time. Like others of its kind, it was of great concern to conservatives, who felt they undermined their own values.

Orange and purple shapes and lines on a yellow background with purple sans serif text

Released in September of 1979, A Different Kind of Tension was the third studio album from English punk band, Buzzcocks. It received mixed reviews, and the singles released from it were not as successful as some of their previous hits such as Ever Fallen in Love and What Do I Get?. After the release of this album, the original members went on to work on different projects, though iterations of the band formed and reformed continually. Buzzcocks are still performing and are touring as of 2024. Cofounder Pete Shelley had a solo career, while Howard Devoto formed the post-punk band Magazine.

Curious about the band’s name? “Cock” was used to mean young person in 1970s Manchester slang and a television show airing at the time, Rock Follies, used it in some of their catchphrases as in: “That’s the buzz, cocks” and “Give me a buzz, cock!”

Yellow and brown illustration of actress Sarah Bernhardt wearing a crown of lillies, surrounded by filagree and art nouveau-style lettering [reproduction of a poster by artist Alphonse Mucha]

Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was a French actress and artist, working primarily in the late 19th to early 20th century. Bernhardt was an accomplished stage actress with a career spanning over 60 years during which she led an international theater company and starred in both female and male roles. She expanded her career by becoming a well renowned sculpture artist, exhibiting work at the Paris Salon for years. A devoted artist and supporter, she specialized in sculptural works with a focus on marble busts, as well as costume and set design. 

In 1894, Bernhardt hired Alphonse Mucha, a leading figure of the Art Nouveau movement, to design her theater posters. She is often portrayed in Mucha’s work wearing floral headpieces and patterned drapery. Due to their collaboration, she is identified as a key symbolic figure and in the Art Nouveau movement. Towards the end of her career she began starring in silent films, such as La voyante and Adrienne Lecouvreur, becoming a pioneer in early cinematic history.