Photograph background with black text on yellow contrast strip.

Culture Club is a new-wave pop group formed in London in 1981. The band is best known for hits including "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and "Karma Chameleon." However, during their early days, the media often focused on the boundary-pushing androgyny of lead singer Boy George. His makeup, long hair, and eclectic clothing drew both admiration and ire. In one infamous incident, Boy George was refused entry to France by airport personnel unless he agreed to change into "male apparel."

Photograph of Baby from the Dinosaurs and a rock on a yellow and gray background. The rock is background for yellow and black text.

Dinosaurs was an American comedy series that aired from 1991 to 1994. The show was the brainchild of Jim Henson and followed a family of dinosaurs, the Sinclairs (named after the fossil fuel corporation).

A precocious, wisecracking toddler, Baby Sinclair was one of the most popular characters from the series. His catchphrase "Gotta love me, I'm the baby!" was widespread in marketing campaigns and was even turned into a 1992 song.

Black and blue text on a white background.

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Red text on a white background, and white text on a red shape of a heart.

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Sticker illustration of Ariel sitting underwater. The background consists of a green metallic sheen with bubble-like patterns, while the rim is white. 

Ariel is the protagonist of Disney's 1989 animated musical feature The Little Mermaid. The film is based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 tale of the same name. The story follows a mermaid who dreams about living on land. The Little Mermaid was revived as a live-action musical film in 2023, with actress Halle Bailey taking on the iconic role of Ariel.

Illustration of a frustrated Donald Duck with smoke coming out of his ears. To the left is black text, and the background is blue with green polka dots. 

Famous for his volatile temper, Donald Duck is one of Walt Disney’s most popular cartoon characters. Since his debut in The Wise Little Hen, on June 9, 1934, he has amassed a large fanbase spanning multiple generations. 

Although he has done plenty of solo work, many people associate the irascible duck with Mickey Mouse, Disney’s company mascot. He is often depicted alongside the Mickey Mouse crew, his girlfriend Daisy Duck, and his three mischievous nephews.

Black and white portrait of Adlai, with curved text below. The whole button has a reddish-brown tint to it. 

Adlai E. Stevenson was an American politician, former Governor of Illinois, and a Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 1952. 

Stevenson was raised in Bloomington, Illinois. During the 1930s he served in many different positions in the federal government, including at the Federal Alcohol Administration and the Department of the Navy. In 1945, Stevenson served on the committee that created the United Nations, and was a member of the initial United States delegation to the UN. In 1948, he was elected governor of Illinois and served until 1953. Stevenson lost his presidential bid to Dwight D. Eisenhower. 

Red text with a yellow outline on a blue background.

The phrase "AD SPECIALTY COUNSELOR" was used to describe someone who worked in the promotional products industry, helping businesses choose branded items like pens, mugs, and buttons to support their marketing efforts. This button was likely a professional badge worn at trade shows or within distributor networks. Its clean, rectangular design points to its purpose as a form of identification, showing that the person wearing it played a consultative role in helping clients use promotional items strategically. 

The role became more official in the 1950s, around the time Joe Segel founded the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). In 1954, ASI launched Counselor magazine, which helped establish "Ad Specialty Counselor" as the go-to job title for people in this line of work. These counselors did more than just sell—they offered advice on campaign planning and product selection. The button likely dates to the 1950s or 1960s and would have been worn by someone recognized in that professional role, either as an identifier or as an award.

Black text on a white background with a red and white checkerboard edge.

The phrase "ride a horse, leave my jackass alone" is a metaphor related to the Democratic Party and its critics. It jokes about the Democratic mascot, the donkey, originating from an ancient political insult. The saying suggests choosing a more honorable or better option ("riding a horse") and ignoring the "jackass." In 1828, presidential candidate Andrew Jackson (a Democrat) was called a "jackass" by his opponents. Jackson embraced the name and began using the jackass/donkey as his campaign symbol.

During World War II, U.S. soldiers experienced extreme hardship, physically and emotionally, resulting in desired moments of joy and distraction. These patriotic checkered buttons were produced to lighten the moods throughout the war. The collection's color scheme and checkerboard style were a way to express gratitude, yet it consisted of borderline risque catchphrases and humorous taglines, providing light-hearted amusement for those who wore these pins.

Blue text and illustration on a white background with a blue edge.

Johnson Smith & Company began in Chicago, Illinois in 1914 as a mail-order novelty and gag gift supplier, settling in Racine, Wisconsin in 1926. Johnson Smith & Co. or Johnson Smith Company sold an array of toys including pinback buttons with suggestive slogans meant as ice breakers.  Their 1929 catalogue touts, “These Buttons provide subjects for pleasant jokes and amusing conversations, and thus smooth the way to a more familiar acquaintance and cordial friendship. They are very wittily worded and quite unobjectionable. Wear one and see the effect.”