Abstract shapes of pink, white and grey on a black background.

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Black pen and ink illustration of rock pigeon on a white background.

Pigeons are one of the oldest domesticated birds known, they have been around since Mesopotamia and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Similar to doves, though considered the bigger of the species, pigeons are known as Columba Livia. Sometimes referred to as domestic, feral or rock pigeons; common in large numbers in open city spaces. These birds are considered quite sacred in various religious ceremonies. They have a natural ability to adapt to humans and because so, historically they have been instrumental in delivering news during times of need throughout the world, and are credited with being one of the first award winning species to serve as a messaging service before the advent of modernized services. 

Illustration of orange whose shape encompasses the entire button.

An orange is a citrus fruit. It is a hybrid between a pomelo and a mandarin. The orange’s origins come from India, China, and Myanmar. Since 1987, oranges are the most cultivated fruit. They grow in tropical and subtropical climates. 70% of citrus production are sweet oranges. The other types of oranges include bitter, bergamot, and trifoliate oranges. Brazil produces 24% of the total oranges grown. The word orange comes from the Sanskrit word nāraṅga.

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Stylized illustration of two kangaroos facing each other.

When the explorer James Cook and his crew first arrived in Australia in 1770, an indigenous tribe used the word ‘gangurru’ in referencing these strange creatures. The kangaroo would go on to become an emblem of Australia, appearing on the new nation’s coat of arms, air force, currency, and stamps and as logos for sports teams and a wide variety of companies.

Kangaroos are marsupials belonging to the macropod family, which means ‘big foot’ in Latin. This family includes the formidable red kangaroos, the smaller grey kangaroos, and the much smaller wallabies, potoroos, and tree kangaroos. 

Cartoon illustration of two people sitting at a desk on a white background.  Black text below illustration.

Herb Gardner (December 28, 1934 – September 25, 2003) was born in New York and studied at Antioch college. While at Antioch he developed the comic strip "The Nebbishes" which became very famous in the 1950s. The Nebbishes characters (seen on this button) were marketed on everything from coffee mugs to ashtrays. Besides being a cartoonist, Herb Gardner was also a musician, novelist, and playwright.

Illustration of a girl and dog sitting on a dock on a pond with their backs facing the viewer.

The girl and dog image is a painting known as either “Bathing Beauties” or “Pals” and is often attributed to the German artist Elimar Ulrich Bruno Piglhein. Born in Hamburg in 1848, Piglhein studied painting under the tutelage of both Wilhelm Ferdinand Pauwels and Wilhelm von Diez. He later went on to become a professor and honorary associate at the Munich Academy. While Piglhein is not a well known artist outside of the art community, his works still continue to sell at auctions around the world.

Illustration in fabric of woman's face on entirety of button centered on a paper clover.

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

Pen and Ink illustration of two turkeys standing in grass near a fence post on a white background.  Blue scalloped border around edge of button.

Bronze Turkeys are named for their metallic bronze plumage. They are the product of cross breeding domestic turkeys brought by European colonists and wild turkeys found in North America. Bronze turkeys are larger and tamer than European turkeys. They became the commercial variety of turkey meat in the early 21^st century. Today Bronze turkeys are not primarily used by turkey industries and are only used for seasonal small scale production.

White silhouetted illustration of person with black hair on a red background.

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Blue field with two circle and one line cutouts exposing red X on a white background.

The 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971, establishing the minimum voting age as 18 for state and federal elections in the United States. Leading up to this momentous event, organizers created buttons, stickers, and other graphics urging voters to “Vote 18” or “Vote Yes 18.” As many slogans claimed "Old enough to fight, Old enough to vote"—highlighting the United States’ Military’s Selective Service or draft age of 18—this button was a call for the voting age to be lowered in tandem. 

Though this may seem like an abstract art design, turn this button to the side and a stylized ‘18’ featuring an ‘X’ in the background is revealed, alluding to the act of voting. This, and similar, images were used regularly by youth voting rights campaigns in the early 1970s, including the Let Us Vote Committee, who are the likely creators of this particular design.