Mort Sahl

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Text on Button MORT SAHL July 12 thru Aug. 1 mister kelly's
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Black and white photograph on a white background with black text 

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In 1971, Mort Sahl was doing a stint at Mister Kelly's nightclub in Chicago, which this button is advertising. Considered the first stand-up comedian, Sahl rose to fame in the late 1950s after being discovered at the “hungry i” nightclub. Known for his casual dressing and his jokes about political current events, Sahl was friends with Ed Sullivan, Hugh Hefner, and Ronald Reagan, and was a member of the team investigating John F. Kennedy's assassination. Sahl influenced comedy stars like Jon Stewart, Chris Rock, and Woody Allen, and continues to perform today.

Mort Sahl. (n.d.). Retrieved September 7, 2015 from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mort_Sahl

Catalog ID EV0153

I Helped Harrisburg Happen

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Text on Button I HELPED HARRISBURG HAPPEN GRASS ROOTS SUPPORTER A.P.I.C. National Convention JULY 7-10 2016 LETS GO TO HARRISBURG
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Illustration of a blue sky with green grass and two sunflowers growing out of it with photographs in the center on top of a brown ground with a pink worm and black and white text.

Curl Text BUSYBEAVER.NET
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The A.P.I.C. National Convention was held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania July-10, 2016.  A.P.I.C. stands for America Political Items Collectors.  This button is to show the efforts of those that helped bring the convention to the Harrisburg area.

The A.P.I.C is a non-profit organization that is for members only and promotes the collection of political artifacts as way to perserve and research these materials.  The A.P.I.C. was found in 1945 for collectors and aficionados from all vocations to sustain and maintain political artifacts.

This button was manufactured by the Busy Beaver Button Co.

Catalog ID EV0166

Happy Birthday Mickey

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Text on Button HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY
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Photograph of a Mickey Mouse telephone with black text on a white background

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The image on the button is of the character, Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse first appeared the animated short film, Steamboat Willie, on November 18, 1928. This date is now considered the characters birthday. Mickey Mouse would later continue to appear in over 130 films. Mickey Mouse quickly became an icon. Because of this, Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse comic strips, along with The Mickey Mouse Club, an American variety TV show. He has become one of the world's most famous characters, and the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company.

Catalog ID EV0269

Forrest Gump Gump Happens

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Text on Button Gump Happens April 28th Paramount
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Blue text on a white background.

Curl Text TM and Copyright 1995 By Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved
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Forrest Gump was released as a two-disc Laserdisc set in the United States on April 28, 1995. Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, and Sally Field, the film was originally released in the United States on July 6, 1994. It details the remarkable life of a seemingly dimwitted but good-hearted and brave man from the rural South who finds himself at the center of many of the major events of U.S. and world history of the 20th century. Meanwhile, his love interest, Jenny, continuously eludes him. It was a major blockbuster hit and garnered 6 Academy Awards in 1995 including Best Picture.

Catalog ID EV0111

Bloomington Jubilee Carnival

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Text on Button BLOOMINGTON JUNE 18-22-01 JUBILEE CARNIVAL
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Illustration of a building on a green and red background with yellow text

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This button was created to promote the Bloomington Jubilee Carnival, an event that took place at Bloomington, Illinois in 1901 to commemorate the rebuilding of the city after the catastrophic fire that occurred the previous year. The Jubilee took place from June 18 to June 22. The celebration included band concerts, electric fountains, parades and many circus-like midway acts, and was reported to have drawn a huge crowd.

The fire of June 19, 1900 destroyed 45 buildings over 4.5 blocks including the county court house and retail establishments in the city's central business district, resulted in loss of $2 million dollars, the equivalent of $50 million today. 

Sources

N.A. (1901, June 19). Jubilee at Bloomington--City Celebrates Its Rebuilding after Big Fire. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1901/06/19/page/5/article/jubilee-at…

​Bill Kemp. (2008, June 14). Bloomington's 'Great Fire' of 1900 Quickly Swept through 45 Buildings. Pantagraph.com. Retrieved from http://www.pantagraph.com/news/bloomington-s-great-fire-of-quickly-swep…

Catalog ID EV0139

Willie Wolf

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Text on Button "Willie Wolf"
Image Description

Black and white illustration of a wolf with the words "Willie Wolf" in black letters underneath illustrations. 

Curl Text Lithographpapers
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"Willie Wolf" or "G.I. Wolf" was a character created by American cartoonist Lenny Sansone. The wolf soldier featured in a strip that satirized the animalistic instincts of WWII soldiers, especially when it came to women. It became a hit throughout America, Canada, and England. Willie Wolf became a popular subject of novelty artwork featuring on aircraft.

Sources

Mike Howdle, et al. “Willie the Wolf – Pdf and Text Versions.” Lest We Forget, 15 Jan. 2022, athabaskang07.wordpress.com/2022/01/14/willie-the-wolf-pdf-and-text-versions/.

 

 

Catalog ID EN0125

We Are Not Alone Close Encounters of the Third Kind

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Text on Button We are not alone
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Image of a road leading off into the distance at night with a bright light at the end of it with white text on top

Curl Text BUTTON ENCOUNTERS L.A. CA 90034 (213) 836-2862 1978 copyright COLUMBIA PICTURES INC
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"We are not alone" was one of the taglines for the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Richard Dreyfuss.  The movie was based on the idea of unidentified flying objects being sighted by Dreyfuss' character, Roy Neary.  "We are not alone" refers to the possibility of other life forms in the universe.  

Catalog ID EN0219

Watch the Skies

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Text on Button Watch the Skies
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White text on a black background with a UFO shinning a bright white light on the ground while hovering over the trees.

Curl Text B-249 BUTTON ENCOUNTERS L.A. CA 90034 (213) 836-2862 1978 © COLUMBIA PICTURES
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The phrase "Watch the Skies" is in reference to Steven Spielberg's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was released in 1977.  The original title for the film while it was still in production was Watch the Skies.  The film's main character, Roy Neary, who is played by Richard Dreyfuss, encounters an unidentified flying object, the image of which is seen here.  The film was unusual at the time of its release because it treated aliens was peaceful creatures, as opposed to their violent counterparts in horror movies of that same time period. 

Catalog ID EN0205

Vote For Kermit

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Text on Button WOULDN'T YOU REALLY RATHER VOTE FOR KERMIT?
Image Description

Photograph of Kermit the Frog holding a black hat and an small American flag on a stick and wearing a VOTE button in front of a blue background

Back Paper / Back Info

Hallmark $2.00 Hallmark Cards, Inc. Made in U.S.A. 200LP 463-4

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In 1980, Hallmark created a series of buttons dedicated to the Muppet characters.  Kermit the Frog is a Muppet character created in 1955 by Jim Henson.  Kermit the Frog starred in numerous television shows, including Sesame Street and The Muppet Show.  He was one of the original cast members of Sesame Street when it aired in 1969.  

Catalog ID EN0213