An illustration of a blue dragon with a sun and clouds behind it. Blue and red text sits below the illustration on a white background. 

This button was created to promote Chicago's Chinatown's three day observance of the 30th anniversary of the Chinese Revolution and the inauguration of a festival for the United China Relief benefit drive in 1941. 

The dragon dance performance was the highlight of the festival. The dragon was 150 ft long and the dance engaged 35 men as its legs. Although Chinese immigrants had lived in Chicago for 75 years at the time, it was considered a rare event.

An illustration of the McCormick Place with an illustrated sky serving as a background, above trees, grass, and a body of water that serves as a background to black and red text (the red text is in a pink square). 

This button is a souvenir from McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America. Located in near Lake Michigan, McCormick Place hosts numerous events such as trade shows, meetings, and the Chicago Auto Show. The convention center consists of four main building, North and South Buildings, West Building and Lakeside Center. Its impressive size and versatility attracts major corporations to host their events at this venue.

Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, conceptualized the idea of a permanent exhibition hall for the city of Chicago. He campaigned feverishly for funds and the authorization from the state of Illinois to construct a building for exhibits. In 1955, the State approved the proposition and construction began. Unfortunately Colonel McCormick died in the same year and he never saw his efforts materialize. The facility was completed in 1960 and named after Colonel McCormick. The building was expanded, renovated, and reinvented over time. Now it attracts 3 million visitors each year.  

In the middle of the button is an illustration of a column with an eagle on top of it. To the left and right of the column are illustrations of houses and below the column is large black text against a white background. 

Logan Square Preservation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public of the architecture, history, and beautification of the community. Logan Square is a historic neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago. The area consists of scenic gardens, architecturally elegant homes and churches. The community is characterized by its grand boulevards and sophisticated setting. 

There are five separate illustrations: A green four-leaf clover at the center, a shield embalm on the top left that shows a eagle wing on one side and a arm/hand holding a knife on the other, a shield emblem on the top right with a cross and hand, a shield emblem on the bottom left with three crowns,  and a shield emblem on the bottom right with a harp.  The background is made of red, white, and blue horizontal stripes.

This button was made for an Irish social center located in Chicago, Illinois. The Irish have a strong history in the city. By 1860, it had the fourth largest Irish population in the United States and the Irish had become entrenched in the city’s politics, religion, and workforce. Parishes and local pubs were often popular social centers for the Irish community.

The four coat of arms depicted in this button represent the four provinces of Ireland. Historically these provinces were loosely bordered kingdoms ruled over by separate monarchies. Today, all thirty two counties of Ireland can be found within the boundaries of these four cultural regions. The part eagle/part hand with sword represents Connacht in the west, with Galway as its main city. Ulster in the north, where the city of Belfast sits, is represented by a cross with a hand. The three crowns represent Munster in the south, with Cork as the main city. Finally, Leinster in the east is represented by the golden harp, where lies the capital city of Dublin.

Green text that is curved on the bottom and top of the button and straight in the center. Everything sits on a white background. 

This button is from "Hotel Greeters of America Day" at the Chicago Fair of 1950. For this special day, the hotel greeters were able to take part in special entertainment ventures at the fair, including: hotel waiter obstacle course races, bedmaking contests for maids, weight lifting competitions for bellmen, and a mock hotel where the visitors could win prizes when registering. 

The Chicago Fair of 1950 ran from June 24th to Labor day, 1950. The Fair highlighted innovation and the advancement of technology, taking time to highlight specifically advancement in the agricultural sector.

Black text of various sizes on a bright orange background. 

Hip Products was a Chicago-based printing company in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They produced many black light posters that are today considered collectibles.

Red text in the center with a red line curving around it. Red text in a blue box at the top of the button and white text in blue box on the bottom on a white background. 

Freedom Center is the enormous printing plant for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Opened in 1982, the complex stretches half a mile. The button is a souvenir item from the plant.

An illustration of a  shirtless man holding a plate above his head that supports several buildings. Behind the man is an illustration of the earth on a blue rectangle. Both illustrations are on a white background and are surrounded by red and black curved text. 

Held from 1933 to 1934, Chicago hosted the World’s Fair named “A Century of Progress International Exposition.”  The major theme was technological innovation.  Located over three and a half miles along Lake Michigan, the fairs buildings were a multitude of colors to create a “Rainbow City” contrasted with the “White City” of the World’s Columbian Exposition.  As the second World’s Fair hosted by Chicago, it was so successful it reopened for an extended period of time after its initial closing date in November of 1933.  Even despite the Great Depression almost 40 million people flocked to the exhibition.  

Green text on an orange background. 

This button is most likely associated with the Chicagoland Youth for Christ organization that began gaining momentum in the 1940s with America’s involvement in World War II. Christian leaders around the country saw a need to promote positive experiences to young adults and began weekly Youth for Christ rallies. The Chicago movement, led by pastor Torrey M. Johnson, was one of the largest and fastest growing. Chicagoland’s first Youth for Christ rally showcased Billy Graham on May 27th, 1944 speaking to a packed house in Orchestra Hall. The Chicago rallies continued and climaxed with the massive Chicagoland rally at Soldier Field on May 30, 1945 that drew tens of thousands of young people.

Red and blue text on a white background.

This is a button from Chicagoland Television Open House, a two week celebration that started on April 5th, 1948. The celebration was started by the first broadcast (a two-hour WGN-TV Salute to Chicago special) made by WGN-TV, a television station founded by the Chicago Tribune; the letters "WGN" were chosen because of the newspaper's slogan, "World's Greatest Newspaper." During the Open House, over 500 retailers invited people to view WGN-TV on the newest video receivers, often in comfortable "living rooms" inside the stores, to show how nicely televisions fit into home living spaces.