Green four-leaf clover with white H's on each leaf in center, red text above and below, white background.

4-H is an organization for school-age youth. Members can compete in project areas including agriculture, livestock, science, health, and art and participate in community clubs, afterschool programs, and camps. Adults mentor 4-H members in leadership, project areas, and community participation. The organization began taking shape in the 1890s as youth clubs for hands-on learning focused on the environment began forming throughout rural areas of the United States. In 1902 in Ohio and Minnesota, the youth clubs became more organized and this is considered the official start of 4-H, although they weren’t called 4-H clubs until 1912. O.H. Benson of Iowa designed a three-leaf clover for area clubs in 1907 with three Hs standing for head, heart, and hands. In 1911 a fourth leaf and fourth H, representing health, was added. It became the official emblem in 1924. The Cooperative Extension System was created 1914 and began to oversee the youth program, taking the clubs nationwide.

Illustration of a blue bird on a branch with a background of blue flowers with blue text

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Illustration of two blue birds facing each other on a branch in front of a yellow and blue background with red flowers and blue text

The Lutheran Publication Society was initially founded by Illinois minister Tuve Hasselquist and served as a publishing house for Swedish books, hymnals, and Lutheran works. In 1859, its headquarters moved to Chicago, but was badly damaged by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The Minnesota Posten—Lutheran Publication Society’s periodical—first got off the ground in the 1850s by publishing church-related articles. Over time, the Minnesota Posten became secular and included political news in its pages. It is likely that this award was presented to children attending Sunday School on their birthday.

Black text on a white background

This is most likely referencing the empowering slogan from the second-wave feminism movement of the 1960s and 1970s. The word “uppity” was used to describe someone inferior that was not staying in their proper place. The women in this movement challenged traditional societal roles and discussed issues involving women’s sexuality, reproductive rights, gender equality and more. The phrase "Uppity Women Unite" embodies the sentiment of women uniting to fight injustices and work towards equal rights.

White illustration of an origami crane on a blue background

The traditional paper crane is well-known in origami models. It’s designed after the Japanese red-crowned crane. In Japanese mythology, this crane is known as the “Honourable Lord Crane” and it wings carried souls up to heaven. The Japanese name for this model is “Orizuru” which simply means “Folded crane.” “Ori” is the same “Ori” that you find in the word origami. An ancient Japanese legend promises that if anyone folds a thousand paper cranes they will be granted a wish by the gods. In some tellings, the folder is granted happiness or good luck. In Japan, the crane is said to live for 1,000 years which is why one must fold 1,000 of them. You have to keep all the cranes to get the wish. If you fold one and give it away, that crane doesn’t count toward the 1,000 needed to make the wish.

Illustration of a safe on a person's head on a white background with black text with author's signature, left of the safe.

Hassan Cigarettes produced by the American Tobacco Company were cork tipped nickel brand cigarettes. To increase advertising, Hassan began offering cowboy cards in 1909 in each pack. By 1912, Hassan introduced baseball cards with the T202 - Hassan triple fold large baseball cards. Later in the same decade, Hassan introduced the pinback buttons in their cigarettes. The designs meant to be collectibles were of various images with each image containing the artist's facsimile signature. The collectible designs allowed Hassan Cigarettes to grow in comparison to other cigarettes who did not offer collectibles.

Noted on the back on this Hassan pinback button is backing paper by W & HC Co - Whitehead and Hoag Company from Newark, N.J.  Whitehead and Hoag, which held the patent for pinback buttons since 1896 was also a union company until 1919 when they broke with the union. Buttons made before 1919 came with a union labeled stamped on the backing paper. 

Illustration of a blue bird on a brown branch with green leaves on a white background over black text

The blue bunting is a songbird native to Central America. The male has a dark blue body and the female is brown with a gray beak. The blue bunting can be found in forests and woodland edges. They forage for seeds, insects and larvae on the forest floor.

This button was a give-away button from American Pepsin Gum Company. Many gum manufactures in the late 1800's used pepsin powder in their chewing gum and marketed it as a way to aid in digestion.  Pepsin was thought to settle stomach issues and help people with digestive concerns.  

Illustration of a mocking bird in blue and yellow standing on a stick on a white background with black text along the bottom

Mocking birds are medium sized birds commonly found in North America. There are 17 different species of mocking birds. The most common species is the Northern Mockingbird which is the state bird for Texas, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas, and Tennessee. Mocking birds get their names from their ability to mimic the sounds and calls of other animals and non-animal sounds such as sirens, squeaky doors, and car alarms.

This button was a give-away gift from American Pepsin Gum Company. Many gum manufactures in the late 1800's used pepsin powder in their chewing gum and marketed it as a way to aid in digestion.  Pepsin was thought to settle stomach issues and help people with digestive concerns.  

White scrolling text on red background.

The Helzberg Diamonds Foundation started an advertising campaign in 1967 when Barnett Helzberg Jr. proposed to his girlfriend Shirley Bush. He wanted her to know that she was loved, and decided to give away buttons reading “I am loved” in all of his stores. The buttons became popular across the country immediately. They were used by schools and religious groups and were sent to servicemen overseas. Foreign language and limited edition versions of the button were introduced. The buttons are still given away in Helzberg stores today with the tagline “buy her a diamond or give her a button, but in any case, tell her she’s loved”.

Each year, Helzberg releases a limited edition button whose design grows and changes to represent the "I Am Loved" message in profound and new ways.

Illustration of a yellow zigzag and pink triangle on a spotted background

Geometric abstraction is a form of abstract art that typically combines geometric, hard-edge, or linear forms and arranges them into nonobjective compositions in a nonrepresentational or nonillusionistic space. It has had many different stages and facets that appeared in many cultures across the history of art, with new waves in Latin-American art during the 1960s and 1970s. Islamic art, which forbade depicting figures, was and still is often thought of as a great example for this type of art and has greatly influenced the movement in Europe and the Western school. 

Some of the most well-known artists that used geometric abstraction include Kazimir Malevich (1878-1935), Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), and Theo van Doesburg (1883-1931). Painters Malevich and Mondrian were inspired by the cubism movement and pioneered geometric abstraction with their distinctive styles of Neoplasticism and Suprematism. Van Doesburg was a founder of the De Stijl movement, which aimed to create a universal language of form and color and is characterized by its use of primary colors, straight lines, and rectangular shapes. Other types of geometric abstraction include OP art, minimalism, and concrete art. The main characteristics of geometric abstraction are its nonrepresentational nature, subjectivity, and use of colors, lines, and shapes as its basic elements.