Black and white illustration of a man in a top hat with glasses and a cigar with black text on a white background

Created by Arthur R. "Pop Mormand, Keeping up with the Joneses was an American comic strip that debuted on March 31, 1913. The strip follows the McGinis family: parents Aloysius and Clarice, their daughter Julie, and the family's maid, Bella Donna. The strip features a comedic look at the McGinis families attempts to match their lifestyle to that of their neighbors, the Joneses, who are never actually seen in the comic. The strip was popular enough that a series of silent animated shorts were released between 1920 and 1921. Upon finishing its run in 1938, the series gave rise to the popular phrase "keeping up with the Joneses", which when referred to means the comparing of oneself to their neighbors as an indicator for their social class and material wealth. The phrase remains popular in the 21st century.

Black text and an illustration of Oswald the rabbit on a white background.

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is a cartoon character created by Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney.  He was devised as a character for animated shorts distributed by Universal Studios in the 1920s and 30s. 

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit debuted in 1927 in a cartoon called "Trolley Troubles", which was a major success.  The profits from the Oswald series of cartoons allowed the fledgling Walt Disney Studios to expand, growing to a team of nearly 20.  When Walt Disney met with Universal Studios in 1928 to renegotiate their contract, he refused a 20% cut in pay, ending their partnership, and allowing Universal to take the rights to Oswald.  Walt and Ub subsequently created Mickey Mouse later that year, eclipsing the popularity of Oswald, and jump-starting the Golden Age of Animation.  As the property of Universal, Oswald was featured in an additional 142 animated shorts throughout the 1930s.  Oswald continued in comic books from the 1940s through the 1960s. 

In 2006, Disney CEO, Bob Iger, made a deal with NBC Universal.  Disney traded ABC and ESPN sportscaster Al Michaels to NBC Sports in exchange for the rights to several creative properties, including Oswald.  Since re-acquiring the rights to the character, Disney has released Oswald merchandise, featured him in video games and included him in Disney theme park attractions.

Black and white illustration of Felix the cat with black text along the top edge on a white background

The movie theater called the Plaza Theatre featured Felix the Cat in their promotional material, a comedic animal cartoon character from the silent film era. Felix is known as the first animated character popular enough to draw in audiences to the movies. He was even sung about by jazz bands in the 1930s. Unfortunately, with the rise of talking cartoons, like those released by Walt Disney in the 1930s, Felix's transition to talkies was not successful. However, with the rise of television programs in the 1950s, Felix found a new outlet. Since then, Felix has been featured in other television programs as well as two movies. In 2002, TV Guide ranked Felix at number 28 out of 50 on their list of "The Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time."

Illustration of a man at the left pulling back a curtain and his cartoon balloon reads "Enter Mike And Ike." The two walk arm and arm onto a stage by a sign with pointing element to the right and inscription "To Movie Fame," black text on a white background

The illustrator of this design, Rube Goldberg, drew several comic series, including Mike and Ike (They Look Alike), Boob McNutt, and The Weekly Meeting of the Tuesday Women's Club. In 1927 he signed a contract with a movie company to introduce his characters Mike and Ike to the big screen in a series of two-reel comedies.

Rube Goldberg is synonymous with complicated inventions that perform simple tasks. He was an engineer and inventor as well as an illustrator. In his series featuring Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts, Goldberg drew schematics of the comical gadgets by which he came to be known.

Goldberg was a founding member and first president of the National Cartoonists Society, whose Reuben Award for cartoonist of the year is named after him. He received a Pulitzer Prize for his political cartooning in 1948, and in 1995 was honored with a commemorative stamp as part of the "Comic Strip Classics" series from the U.S. Postal Service.

Illustration in fabric of a cartoon cat's face in black and white.  Text on yellow ribbon coming off bottom right side of button.

Created in 1919 by Australian cartoonist Pat Sullivan during the silent era of the film, ‘Felix the Cat’ is widely considered the world’s first major animated cartoon character. Shown here, Felix made his first appearance in Feline Follies, a 1920s animated short. Many Felix animated shorts feature sociopolitical commentary, and key historical events of the time often serve as plot points for the films. Felix Turns the Tide (1922), for example, features a plot, not dissimilar to recently-ended WWI, where “Rats Declare War on Cats.” Felix Revolts (1923) illustrates worker unrest, workers strikes, and the rise of unions.

By 1923, Felix the Cat merchandise was widely available, especially on toys, buttons, and postcards. This particular button, reading “Just Sweet Sixteen,” may have been given to a person celebrating their 16th birthday, an event considered a significant “coming-of-age” milestone.

By the 1930s, Felix the Cat was waning in popularity. The silent film era had made way for the “talkies” era, and Sullivan, the cartoon cat’s original creator, wasn’t willing to give Felix a voice. It wasn’t until Walt Disney created Steamboat Willie that Sullivan agreed to give Felix a synchronized soundtrack, but by then it was too late; Felix’s transition to sound wasn’t popular, and the cartoon’s contract was canceled. Felix would be seen sporadically over the years, from television revivals to film appearances.

Learn more about the History of Flapper Buttons on the Busy Beaver blog.

Illustration in fabric of an owl's face on a white background.  Text on ribbon coming off the lower right side of button.

To be wise to (someone or something) is defined as the act of being fully aware or cognizant of someone or something. In many cases, this phrase is used to expose or acknowledge malicious or mischievous intent. An owl has been a symbol for wisdom since ancient Greece. According to mythology, an owl sat on the blind side of the goddess Athena so she could see the whole truth. The owl correlation to wisdom has been passed on through the years perpetuating the symbol in such works as King Arthur legend Merlin's owl Archimedes or Harry Potter's owl Hedwig.

Illustration of woman wearing a hat resting her head in her hands.

Through the 1940s, pocket mirrors were a popular advertising opportunity, given that the back of the mirror would be on display whenever the user pulled it out in public to check their reflection. Today, unusual and inventive mirrors can frequently be sold at auction for hundreds of dollars to collectors.

This artistic illustration is part of a more risque category of pocket mirror, metamorphic, that creates a different image when held upside down. The primary view is a girl in a hat with hair down resting her head in her hands, while the inverted view is a woman's legs and intimate areas.

Color stereoscopic photograph of copper colored Rambler and person in red shirt.  Silver metal border part of button backing.

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Illustration of a flea on a white background.

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Photograph of Jimmy Carter in center, white text on a green border around edge of button.

Jimmy Carter is a former senator, governor, and 39th president of the United States. He ran for president in the 1976 election against Republican Gerald Ford. Before the election, President Carter was relatively unknown outside of Georgia. He ran as the underdog and Washington outsider who would be a good change for America. 

Overall, Carter's presidency was marked by inflation, recession, and an energy crisis. However, he did fulfill some campaign promises, particularly that of pardoning Vietnam War draft evaders. One of the most notable events of his presidency was the Iran hostage crisis in 1979, during which 52 Americans (both citizens and diplomats) were held hostage for over a year.

Christen and Joel Carter got this button signed by Jimmy Carter at this event in Chicago: https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150701/hyde-park/jimmy-carter-visit-hyde-park-for-book-signing. Their first attempt was thwarted by his handlers but they tried again about an hour later. His people said that "he is only signing his book" (paraphrased) but Jimmy motioned them in and he signed it.