Mirror in the center of white text on blue background. 

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Black text on light wood-colored background.

A Century of Progress International Exposition was the name of a World's Fair held in Chicago from 1933 to 1934 to celebrate the city's centennial. The theme of the fair was technological innovation. The fair's motto was "Science Finds, Industry Applies, Man Conforms." The fair held many different events including logrolling, in which lumberjacks or other competitors attempt to balance on a log the longest while it is rolling in the water. The contest involves two lumberjacks, each on one end of a log floating in the river. One starts rolling the log, and the other is forced to keep up. The lumberjacks try to stay on the log while attempting to cause the competitor to lose their balance.

In the 1920s and 1930s, log rolling was popular as a spectator sport. A group of log rollers headed by Jimmy Murray toured the country, attending state and county fairs, exhibiting their skills to the public through trick and fancy log rolling.  The 1933 world champion of log rolling, Wilber Marx, was featured in a popular news reel of the time, and he gained national popularity.  This group of log rollers would have been the featured performers at the 1933 World’s Fair log rolling exhibition.

Image of building surrounded by blue text encircled by blue border over yellowed background. 

This button was used to celebrate Liberty State Bank & Trust Company's formal opening of their new building on April 1, 1928. The bank was operated out of Wilkes Barre, PA on North Main Street.  The original bank was opened in 1922 and the Trust Department was established on December 10, 1923.

Black and white portrait of Leroy Paige above black text over yellowed background. Orange hanging ribbon with orange bat and white baseball charms. 

Leroy Satchel Paige was a pitching legend in the Negro Leagues and later in Major League Baseball. Born on July 7, 1906 in Mobile, Alabama, Paige worked as a luggage carrier at a train station in his youth. He would carry several bags on a rigged pole to earn more pay, and his coworker commented he looked like a "walking satchel tree," thus his nickname was born.

Paige developed his pitching skills in Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs, Alabama under the guidance of his coach, Edward Byrd. He started his professional career in 1926 in the Southern Negro League and played for the Chattanooga Black Barons. Paige quickly became a crowd favorite. When Jackie Robinson broke the color in 1948, Paige signed with the Cleveland Indians as the oldest Rookie at the age of 42 and was the first African American pitcher in the American League. Joe DiMaggio commented that Paige was "the best and fastest pitcher I've ever faced."

Paige was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. He passed away on June 8, 1982 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Compass nestled between black text over yellowed background. 

Knight & Wall Company was a hardware store established in 1884 by Perry G. Wall, II and his brother-in-law, Henry L. Knight in Tampa, Florida.  Knight & Wall was a retail and wholesale business that serviced most of south Florida and a branch in Cuba for nearly 80 years. 

The store was first started by Henry Knight and Perry Wall in 1884 under the name Clarke and Knight.  Knight represented Henry L. Knight and Clarke (Edward Clarke) represented the uncle and financial guardian for Perry Wall.  Perry Wall was only 17 years old when the store was established so it remained under the name Clarke and Knight until Perry Wall turned 21 in 1888 and was then changed to Knight & Wall.

Knight & Wall remained in business until the 1970's when the company was sold to Alchar Hardware of Miami.

Baby boy above black text over blue background. 

(Additional Text: Congratulations, Dad! In all the world there is no greater joy Than being the father of a new boy! No teasure's so rare as that little lad. No pleasure compares to being called "Dad" Compliments of SWIFT'S MEATS FOR BABIES)

Swift and Company established itself as a meat distributor in 1855, expanding the business from Gustavus Franklin Swift being the sole employee to its current place as a multi-million dollar business owned by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc. Investors.  Swift advertised its baby food heavily in the 1950s, using, in addition to buttons, Norman Rockwell paintings in their magazine advertisements to represent the joy babies got from eating Swift baby food.  

Lenticular woman's eye next to white text over blue and red background. Union bug. 

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) was founded in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1890.  The originating members had concerns about their twelve-hour work days, seven days per week, at eight dollars a week schedule and wage.  The American Federation of Labor granted the works a charter under the title Electrical Wiremen and Linemen's Union in 1891.  The union suffered under the "Open-Shop Movement" at the end of the 1910s.  It was not until the National Labor Relaions Act of 1935, that the IBEW was able to organize utility and factory workers.  By 1941, IBEW was working with other organizations to have the National Apprenticeship Standards for the Electrical Construction passed. However, the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 made it again difficult to form unions, and the IBEW and labor reform suffered. Currently, the union has about three-quarters of a million members.

In the early 1980s, this style of button became a focal point in a federal court case.  The button wearer was asked not to wear it while working with the general public.  The wearer's supervisor was concerned that the button could be the start of an argument between union members but the IBEW disagreed.  The court ruled that the employer could prevent it being worn while working with the public.  

Black and white photograph framed by yellow with black text contained within a metal button. 

The button is believed to have been a Heywood-Wakefield Company employee identification badge.  Five brothers from Gardner, Massachusetts founded a small furniture manufacturing company in 1826.  It was successful and expanded into, among other places, Chicago's West Side, where it build a warehouse (1883), a factory (1884), and a salesroom (1891).  In 1913, the Chicago facilities were expanded with the sale of one million dollars of general stock.  In 1921, the company became the Heywood-Wakefield Company under Massachusetts law when it liquidated its New Jersey holdings.  The employee identification badge dates from 1921 or after since it reads "Heywood-Wakefield Co."

Outlined flaming piano surrounded by five red lights below white text over black background.  

The song "Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the most popular Rockabilly songs during the 1950's. Peaking at #1 on the charts, the song sold over 1 million copies in the first 10 days after the record was released on November 11th, 1957.

The image is reference to the legend that Jerry Lee Lewis set his piano on fire one night while performing. Reportedly there was a conflict between Jerry Lee and Chuck Berry, another famous performer during the era. Jerry Lee wanted to close the show and Chuck Berry would not let him. In order to upstage him, Jerry Lee lit his piano on fire while performing 'Great Balls of Fire' and sang until the piano burned to the ground. In a 1999 article in Country Weekly Jerry Lee was asked about the notorious incident and said "I don't know where people would get an idea like that. Someone would have to be crazy to set a piano on fire. Of course, that was so long ago and the story's been told so many times, I sometimes wonder if I really did do it." neither confirming nor denying the story.

Jerry Lee Lewis' career ended quickly when news that he married his first cousin once removed Myra Gale Brown. Due to her young age (13 years old) controversy broke out and Jerry Lee was blacklisted from the industry. His career would never recover.

Gold, glow in the dark paper, and striped circles with gold and white text over black background. 

This button was a Kickstarter campaign gift for backers of $20 for Nicholas Felton's infographic book. The innovative effect is glow in the dark and gold platted button combination.

This button was manufactured by the Busy Beaver Button Co.