Greyscale photograph of smiling Beatles members over a white background, surrounded by red text. 

In 1964, British rock group The Beatles were promoting the release of their feature film debut A Hard Days’ Night\. The marketing of the film included the creation of buttons like this one, meant to draw hype to the movie and encourage ticket sales.

Black text (except for "German" which is red) over a white background. Above the text is an illustration of a man's head wearing a green Bavarian hat.

“Kraut” is the German word for cabbage. During World War I and II, it was common for soldiers to refer to the Germans as “Krauts,” as a derogatory term. “Sour” is often used as a synonym for grumpy.

This play on words also references delicious sauerkraut (a combination of the German words for “sour” and “cabbage”). This dish came to Germany in the 1600s. It is a mixture of pickled cabbage. Did you know sauerkraut is a superfood? It is great for digestion, containing vitamin C, potassium, B6, iron and magnesium. The pickling process makes this food healthy, low-calorie and delicious! 
 

Photograph of Bobby in a black, green, and white striped shirt, with red and yellow text at the bottom. 

The Brady Bunch was an American sitcom which ran from 1969 to 1974. The series follows the blended Brady family as they learn to live under the same roof. The show remains both a pop cultural icon and a site of constant ridicule in its depiction of the American family.

Bobby Brady is the youngest son of the family. He is often picked on for being little but proves himself by saving the day in many episodes.

Illustration of a horse's head over a blue background, surrounded by text. A red and white ribbon with a lapel bar and cowboy hat charm is attached to the bottom of the button.

The Iowa State Fair began in 1854 and is the largest event in the state. It started in the city of Fairfield but moved to the capital city of Des Moines in 1886. The fair began as an agricultural event for Iowans to show horses and pigs. It has expanded in scope and size over the years, adding many food and beverage vendors and a range of attractions including amusement rides, concerts, tractor-pulling, dirt bike racing, rock walls, and mazes. 

Agriculture and animals remain central to the event, which hosts multiple horse and pony competitions. Horse competitions are judged on the horse's performance, the rider's performance, or a combination of both. English and Western styles of riding, horse pulling, miniature horses, and select breeds of horses are all categories of competition. Since the 1960s, the fair has also hosted a popular “Cowgirl Queen” horse contest. 

Red text on a blue and white background with dark blue and light orange ribbons attached. Red, white, and blue ribbons with metal horseshoe and horse face charm attached.

Since the mid 1600’s, Pennsylvania has held agricultural shows throughout the state, where farmers could assemble and share knowledge. In 1917, industry representatives chose Harrisburg as the location to hold an annual, statewide farm show. Since then, the Pennsylvania Farm Show has grown to include several exhibition halls, arenas, and an equine barn and ring. The show is meaningful to the people of the state as farming has always been one of Pennsylvania’s top industries. In January, 2024, 585,000 visitors attended the eight day show.

Illustration of a blue deer over a white/yellow background, surrounded by blue text and a blue rim. 

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Black text on a white background with red and white checkerboard design around the rim

Jazz and blues musician Lucky Millinder (1910-1966) first recorded his song “Hello Bill” in 1946 to critical acclaim. Lucky could not read or write music and didn’t play any instruments, though this didn’t stop him from performing; Lucky had great showmanship and lent his musical taste to his accompanying bands.

Lucky’s band was one of the first racially integrated in the country and was composed of “mixed musicians” during the Southern Swing era of music. Lucky is quoted as having said, “[The time has come to] do away with the jim crow [sic] attitude of Negroes as well as whites,’ and had Italian, Armenian, Irish, Jewish, East Indian, and Black musicians in his bands.

In the 1940s, carnivals gave out checkered pin-back buttons as game prizes and souvenirs, many of which had funny phrases like “You’re the One” and “Jeepers Creepers” and also included titles of famous songs of the day, like “It Ain’t Gonna Rain No ‘Mo.” This “Hello Bill” button may be a variation of such buttons.

Photo of a hairy belly button.

Whether an 'innie' or an 'outie', everybody has got one. The way artists have seen bellies, and belly buttons, has changed over the course of history.

Black and white text on blue and white backgrounds with red and white vertical curved stripes around the center rim. Red, white, and purple ribbons along with an white elephant fob attached to the bottom of the button.

Richard M. Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, from 1969-1974. Born in 1913, Nixon began a distinguished law career before becoming a Navy Lieutenant during WWII. After his service, he was elected as a Senator from California, and two years later he became Vice President under Eisenhower. He narrowly lost to Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential election, but succeeded in 1968. 

Nixon’s Presidency was initially characterized as a time of peace. He ended the Vietnam War, improved relations with the Soviet Union and China, and brokered agreements in the Middle East. However, his Presidency became marred due to the Watergate Scandal, in which his party members broke into the Democratic National Committee offices. Although denying personal involvement, Nixon was caught trying to impede investigations. Facing impeachment, he decided to resign, becoming the only President to do so. 

Blue text on a yellow background. A blue and red ribbon with a brass fob is attached to the bottom of the button.

The Los Angeles County Fair is among the largest fairs in the United States. Main attractions include amusement rides, agricultural exhibits, and horse racing. It was first held in 1922 and featured chariot racing competitions and an airplane stunt exhibition. Despite the Great Depression casting a shadow over the 1930s, the Fair underwent expansion. In 1937, under the directive of the Works Progress Administration, new buildings were constructed such as a fine arts building and a cafeteria. 

In 1942 the Fair would close for the next six years due to WWII. However, the fairgrounds would play a vital role in the war effort. Over 5,000 Japanese-Americans were temporarily held there before being relocated to internment camps. The grounds also housed German and Italian prisoners-of-war. In 1948 the Fair was reopened with new construction initiatives such as an agricultural pavilion. Since its reopening, the Fair has attracted over one million visitors almost every year.