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.

Illustration of opposing tops of doric columns on a purple background.  Text appears between the two columns.

Sir Mix-A-Lot was born Anthony Ray in Seattle on August 12, 1963. An eclectic music fan but a rabid hip-hop devotee, he was already actively rapping in the early '80s, and co-founded the Nastymix record label in 1983 with his DJ, Nasty Nes, who also hosted Seattle's first hip-hop radio show. Mix-A-Lot had long had a knack for mimicking (and mocking) the pimps he'd watched while growing up in Seattle, and adopted their visual style. He debuted for Def American with 1992's Mack Daddy, whose first single, "One Time's Got No Case," was a critique of racial profiling by police. It went virtually unheard, but the follow-up, "Baby Got Back," became a pop phenomenon virtually from the moment MTV aired its provocative video (which was eventually consigned to evening-hours only). "Baby Got Back" spent five weeks atop the pop charts, selling over two million copies and went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance. Billboard magazine ranked it as the second biggest single of the year (1992).

Small pebble painted blue is affixed to button.  Pebble has painted smile, two attached googly eyes, and tuft of synthetic orange hair.  Beige background with red and purple text. 

This button features a pet rock with orange troll hair and was used to promote KYYX 96.5, a radio station in Seattle, Washington from 1977-1984. From 1977 to 1982 it ran as a Top 40 station until 1982-1984 when it aired more new wave music. There were new personalities featured on the shows and the moniker was "The Rock of the '80s."

Illustrated vignettes of a smiling woman's face with flowers, a palm tree and grass, and two roosters facing each other aggressively. 

Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, it has been a U.S. territory since 1917. Called the “island of enchantment,” where its largest city; San Juan, has 3.4 million diverse people living there. The predominant language is Spanish with English considered the secondary language for the country. Puerto Rico is a popular vacation destination with its fusion of cultures, bioluminescent beaches, festive food finds, and radiant rainforests. Spotting a native Puerto Rican parrot is a frequent favorite of ornithologists and birders alike while visiting the island’s, El Yunque National Forest. 

Lenticular button alternates between two images: Photograph of Bill Murray's face with and without clown makeup.  Text appears above and below photograph.  White and green horizontally striped background.

Quick Change is a movie from 1990 directed by Howard Franklin and Bill Murray, and also starring Billy Murray along with Geena Davis and Randy Quaid. The film is a crime comedy based off of a book by Jay Cronley. Dressed as a clown, Grimm (Murray) and his two accomplices (Davis and Quaid) rob a bank in New York City, but their getaway does not go according to plan and they are faced with countless troubles while trying to leave New York. The film was not as commercially successful, but it was well received by critics. It is also the only directorial credit of Bill Murray's film career.