The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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Text on Button THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
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Red text over a black background. The red is bleeding off the letters in a sinister way. 

Curl Text © 1983 TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX FILM CORP TM DESIGNATES A TRADEMARK OF 20TH CFFC BUTTON-UP CO 22120 RYAN, WARREN, MI., 48091
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The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 film that embodies genres such as comedy, horror, and musical. It was created by writers Richard O'Brien (1942-) and Jim Sharman (1945-) and directed by Sharman as well. It is based on the 1973 musical stage production The Rocky Horror Show, which was written by O'Brien, who wanted to combine elements of science fiction and B horror movies and add in a twist of camp.

English actor and singer Timothy James Curry (1946-) stars in the film as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a mad scientist who welcomes the troubled and newly engaged couple Janet Weiss and Brad Majors, played by Susan Sarandon (1946-) and Barry Bostwick (1945-), into his bizarre castle, where strange events occur for the duration of their stay.

When first released, critics and reviewers were quick to note that the film was not a success or worthy of attention because of its campy qualities or what they deemed as a pointless plot. It has since gained a passionate and global cult following that saw the film break records as the longest continually running movie release of all time and gross over $170 million worldwide. In 2005, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film as culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant by selecting it for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Sources

Ivan-Zadeh, L. (2020, June 19). The Rock Horror Picture Show: The film that’s saved lives. BBC Culture. https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200618-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-the-film-thats-saved-lives

Library of Congress. (n.d.). Complete national film registry listing. https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/

The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073629/

Catalog ID EN0615

Dawn's Patrol

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Text on Button DAWN'S PATROL
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Black text over an orange background. 

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"Dawn's Patrol" was a comic strip series featured in the British girl's magazine Judy from 1968-70. The series follows girl scout leader Dawn Martin and her friends as they overcome difficult situations. Judy often offered free accessories to readers, and this button allowed wearers to feel that they were a part of Dawn's thrilling adventures.

Sources

Wikimedia Foundation. (2022, December 28). Judy (girls’ magazine). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_(girls%27_magazine)

Lorrsadmin. (2016, May 9). Girls comics of Yesterday. http://girlscomicsofyesterday.com/2016/05/dawns-patrol/

Catalog ID IB0796

Take A Jump

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Text on Button TAKE A JUMP
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Black text and illustration on a white background with a checkerboard edge

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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.

Sources
Patriotic pins of trite sexual innuendo heroic vintage sleaze | Collectors Weekly. (n.d.). https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/8038-patriotic-pins-of-trite-sexual-innuendo?in=user 
Catalog ID IB0792

Go It Easy Mabel

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Text on Button GO IT EASY MABEL
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Black text on white background with red and white checkerboard edge

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Go Easy, Mabel is a humorous song that was written in 1909 by J. Fred Helf and Ren Shields. The song tells the story of a young ribbon cutter, Percy, who takes Mabel to dinner. Mabel, who has mistaken Percy for a millionaire, orders an extravagant meal and many bottles of wine. Percy, worried he will go to jail as he does not have the means to pay for the date, exclaims “Go easy, Mabel! If you can’t go easy Mabel, go easy as you can!”

In 1922, a musical comedy, also titled “Go Easy, Mabel”, was introduced at Longacre Theatre in Manhattan, NY. The play, written by Charles George, was about a playwright who had been neglecting his wife. The husband and wife perform a series of antics to gain each other’s attention, which apparently worked because the play ended with the couple living happily ever after. Interestingly, the musical was shown again in the 1930s at the Federal Theatre. The Federal Theatre Project was part of the New Deal program (1935), which was created to provide work for performers who had been out of work. The project also had a program which produced plays depicting the African American experience. 

Sources

Helf, J. Fred; Cobb, Will D.; Moran; Shields, Ren; and Frew, "Go Easy Mabel" (1909). Vocal Popular Sheet Music Collection. Score 519. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/519

Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections. New York Clipper 17 May 1922 - Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections. (n.d.). https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=NYC19220517.2.162&e=-------en-…;

PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search Engine. (2023). Go easy, Mabel - theatrical playbill, public domain image - picryl - public domain media search engine public domain search. PICRYL. https://picryl.com/media/go-easy-mabel-f9290a 

 

Catalog ID IB0791

What A Worm

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Text on Button WHATA WORM
Image Description

Black text and illustration on white background with red and white checkerboard edge

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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.

Sources
Patriotic pins of trite sexual innuendo heroic vintage sleaze | Collectors Weekly. (n.d.). https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/8038-patriotic-pins-of-trite-sexual-innuendo?in=user 
Catalog ID AR0478