Illustration of a horse and a cow on a yellow background above a ribbon with black text on it over illustrations of a pig, a sheep, more horses, a watermelon and other produce with a white outer edge with black text. It also has a red and a white ribbon attached at the bottom and a chain attaching a small brown pipe to the button

The State Fair of Texas is the annual state fair held in Dallas, Texas in Fair Park. The fair has been held each year since 1886 apart from various periods of time during both World Wars. The fair primarily runs from the last Friday of September and lasts 24 days. The fair frequently sees nearly 3 million attendees and is widely recognized as one of the best state fairs in the United States. 

Illustration of the front of a white shirt with a blue striped tie and a pocket with pens in it, underneath is a flesh colored chest with superhero in red and black text

This button was created as part of the Busy Beaver Button Co.'s Button-O-Matic 2011 series "Superhero!" by Abbey Hambright. In an interview on the Busy Beaver blog she describes the inspiration for the button, "We were brainstorming different things that superheroes do— they scale tall buildings, rescue babies and old people, they defeat evil villains, when it hit me: they tear off their shirts! Thus the first ever tear-off button was born." The full interview and an animation of the button's shirt being torn off can be found here: https://www.busybeaver.net/blog/2011/08/23/behind-the-button-abbey-hambright/. The animated gif is also viewable above.

Blue text and roman numerals that make up a clock face with a red stripe across the bottom with blue text on it and metal clock hands

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Illustration of a horse and a cow on a yellow background above a ribbon with black text on it over illustrations of a pig, a sheep, more horses, a watermelon and other produce with a white outer edge with black text. It also has a leather strap attached that includes a holster for a toy metal gun

The Alabama State Fair was an annual event that was held in the fall. Between 1947-2001 it was located at the Alabama State Fairgrounds in West Birmingham. The state fair discontinued in 2001 due to low attendance and crime in the neighboring areas. The Oak Mountain State Fair in nearby Pelham began in 2011 in an effort to resurrect the state fair in the state.

Blue text on a yellow background and yellow text on a blue background

Vitamin B is an essential vitamin and micronutrient that cannot be produced in the body. In addition to being found in whole grains, legumes, meats, and fish, it is commercially synthesized and sold as a dietary supplement and medication. Vitamin B is vital for several metabolic processes, such as the breakdown of glucose and amino acids. 

Prior to the discovery of vitamins, diseases caused by malnutrition were rampant. Research into vitamins traces back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when physicians and biochemists wanted to understand the causes of often fatal diseases such as beriberi. The researchers discovered that animals fed machine-purified protein, fat, and carbohydrates was not enough, and that those given unprocessed food fared much better. After biochemists began isolating these components in food, the race to synthesize vitamins began in the 1930s, which led to the discovery of not only different vitamins such as A and B, but also variants such as B6 and B12. 

Black text with an illustration of red, orange, and yellow concentric circles on a white background

The Touch-On lamp was invented by Scott Kunen from Freeport, New York in 1984. The lamp was sold at many department stores, including Sears. It was first advertised to be used on a bedside table where you could touch the lamp and it turned off and on.

Blue and red text on a white background

Multnomah is a county in Oregon, but it is also a neighborhood of southwest Portland, Oregon. Oregon officially became the 33rd state of the U.S on February 14, 1859, meaning 1959 marked the centennial of Oregon’s statehood. The Multnomah Labor Council, Centennial Hosts for the celebration, created badges for staff so guests knew who to direct questions about the event.

There were many events and celebrations throughout 1959 commemorating Oregon’s 100 years of statehood, including the Oregon Centennial Exposition and International Trade Fair, which took place along the Columbia River north of Portland from June 10th-September 17th.  This fair boasted eighteen acres of exposition sites including more than 200 companies, government agencies, and private as well as public organizations with exhibits. This also included 19 Oregon counties as well as 22 foreign countries. There was an international garden with a Japanese tea-house as well as a giant floral clock and the Cameo House for showcasing the latest décor and appliances. There was an Adventureland with an open-air train to a Bavarian Beer Garden, a covered wagon train, and a working sawmill for visitors to turn trees into timber. This also featured Frontier Village which recreated a Western town from the 1870's with a dance hall, stable, saloon, post office, actors, and more. There were shows, attractions, and a 31 ft. tall Paul Bunyan to greet visitors, which still stands today in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland. This event brought in nearly 1.5 visitors in the 100 days it was open, which pales in comparison to crowd sizes at other events such as the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905 in Portland that drew in 2.5 million people.

White text on a blue background

The phrase “I’ve got something special… Ask me!” is likely in relation to a popular advertising campaign by Heileman’s Beer or the G. Heileman Brewing Company of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Heileman’s Special Export Light gained popularity in the 1980s, with Heileman’s Brewing creating a variety of pinback buttons, patches, and other merchandise for their beer selection throughout the mid-20th century. Utilizing phrases such as “Ask me about Heileman Light,” and the “I’ve Got Something Special – Ask me!” motif, these items were often intended as flair for bartenders and servers in order to promote the sale of their brand's brews. Heileman’s was eventually acquired by Pabst Blue Ribbon, who as of June 2025 continues to oversee the popular brands and intellectual holdings associated with G. Heileman Brewing.

Black text and illustration of a squirrel holding a cowboy hat on a yellow background

Produced for Club 20, "The Voice of Western Colorado Since 1953”. The slogan “I’m A Friendly Native. Ask me”, also found on posters and stickers, appeared in the area during the 1960s. The friendly “natives” were the local residents spread across the region's 30,000 square miles. Club 20 is a non-profit organization that provides a unified voice for 22 western Colorado counties in matters of local, state, and federal issues. The coalition is composed of individuals, businesses, tribes, and local governments and features ten policy committees that include: Agriculture, Business Affairs, Education & Workforce Development, Energy, Health Care, Public Lands & Natural Resources, Telecommunications, Tourism, Transportation and Water.

Black text on a white background

“Ask me!” is often seen on signs, pin back buttons, or badges worn by staff as a signal to the patron to ask the staff any question he or she may have about the establishment, its products, and information it provides. This button is likely from a realty agency, HOA, or apartment/condo association and could signal potential customers to ask a question about a specific location the person lives in.

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