The black General Electric logo is on a white background. The text is red.

General Electric, commonly known as GE, was founded by Thomas Edison in 1890. The company's original name was the Edison General Electric Company. The Thomson-Houston Company was its primary competitor. In 1892, the two companies merged to form the General Electric company. The General Electric appliance division was founded in the 1890's, while their aircraft engine division was founded in 1917. In 1930, the plastics division was founded based upon various scientific breakthroughs related to the plastics manufacturing process. Throughout its history, GE has manufactured light bulbs, first of the incandescent variety and later on pioneering the manufacture of fluorescent and LED bulbs as well.

A white background with black words across the bottom.

This button is in reference to Gary Numan, a British musician. Numan was known for hi synthpop and new wave sounds. He was big in the late 70s and early 80s and is known for his songs “Are ‘Friends’ Electric” and “Cars”. The song “Are ‘Friends’ Electric” was released when he was part of the band Tubeway Army and “Cars” was released under his name.  Numan tried his hand at film-scoring as well, co-composing the music for The Unborn. He made a few comebacks in the 90s and 2000s. Numan still maintains a loyal cult following today. 

Oval shaped employee name tag. The words are blue and the background is beige.

The Fenn Bros. Ice Cream and Candy Co. was a manufacturer operating out of Souix Falls, South Dakota in the early to late 20^th century. The company is listed in publications, the Confectioners Gazette, as early as 1918, but was liquidated in the 1970s. The company was known for its invention of the registered trademark toffee ice cream flavoring called Butter Brickle. Butter Brickle was not only an ice cream flavor, it was also a candy that the company made. The additional picture that accompanies this button shows a vintage container that would have held the Fenn’s Butter Brickle ice cream. When the company was liquidated, the Butter Brickle formula was sold to the company who manufactured Heath Bars (eventually acquired by Hershey). The slogan, “That good Ice Cream: Fenn’s,” can be found on vintage clocks that hung in establishments that sold Fenn’s ice cream.

A woman in a robe holding a shield and a spear is sitting in front of a bear in an open grassland area. There is a river and a mountain range behind her and the sun is rising from behind the mountains. The text is small and black, with one word above and one below the image.

Eureka, California, is a small town located north of San Francisco in Humboldt Bay. Although Eureka is small, with a population of 27,191 after the 2010 census, Eureka is still the largest coastal city between San Francisco and Portland. Europeans began settling the Eureka area in the mid-nineteenth century. Eureka was officially incorporated on April 18, 1850. The town began to prosper as a result of timber and fishing and eventually as a port for gold mining supplies. The economy of the town has always been in flux as the timber and fishing industries ebb and flow as far as prosperity. The city’s major employers today include government institutions such as the College of the Redwoods and St. Joseph Hospital. Eureka is one of the United States best-preserved Victorian era commercial districts. The entire town is a national historic landmark. The image that appears on this button is a representation of the city seal, which is identical to the California state seal.

The red words are centered on a shield outlined in red. The background is ivory color.

The Empire State Building was completed in early 1931. It stood as the world’s tallest building for 40 years until the completion of the North World Trade Center Tower in 1970. The roof of the Empire State Building is 1,250 feet, and it is 1,454 feet to the top of the antennae. The building, designed by William F. Lamb, is designed in the art deco style and is thought to be an American icon. Unfortunately, the building opened just as the Depression hit, leaving much of the building unrented. Furthermore, the building was several blocks from public transportation making it less desirable for business. Although there was a lack of renters, the observation deck brought in a lot of revenue. The interior and exterior observation decks are located on the 86^th floor. The observation deck provides a 360 degree view of the city and has been used for classic cinematic moments, including An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle. 

An illustration of the Empire State Building centered on the button. The "World's Highest" text is to the left and right of the building and the other text arches above and below the illustration. The background is red and the text is white.

The architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon designed the 103-story Art Deco style skyscraper located on 350 5th Avenue, New York, New York. The Empire State Building was completed in 1931, and is one of the tallest buildings in the United States. It has two observation decks: the 86^th floor with panoramic views of New York City and a smaller deck on the 102^nd floor.  As a top tourist attraction, the Empire State Building’s observation decks welcome approximately 4 million people per year.

An illustration of an alien-like bug with thirty three eyes, a harpoon shaped nose, pointed human ears, and six teeth. The bug has an elongated body with six legs, two antennas, and a stinger on its tail. The bug is yellow, black, and green. The background is purple and the text is white.

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Dark red on a blue background.

Carol Ann Doda is a former topless stripper in San Francisco, California who was active in the 1960s through 1980s, one of the first of the era. In 1964 Doda made international news, first by dancing topless at the city's Condor Club, then by enhancing her bust from size 34 to 44 through silicone injections. Her breasts became known as Doda's "twin 44s" and "the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco." Doda attended the San Francisco Art Institute and worked as waitress and lounge entertainer at the Condor Club. On June 19, 1964, when Doda was 26 years old, the Condor's publicist, "Big" Davy Rosenberg gave Doda a topless swimsuit designed by Rudi Gernreich. She performed topless that night, the first noted entertainer of the era to do so. The act was an instant success. Two months after she started her semi-nude performances, the rest of San Francisco's Broadway was topless, followed soon after by entertainers across America.

A photograph of a man and woman wearing a black suit and a black nice dress. They are each wearing flowers on their clothes and the same style of flowers are in the background. The photo is in black and white except for the flowers which are pink. There is a grey border around the photograph. The text is white and the background is grey.

On the edge of the button there is a name that appears: Nemecek, and an address 1439 W. 18^th. Francis D. Nemecek, originally born in Bohemia but educated at St. Procopius School in Chicago, was not only an art photographer but was also an entrepreneur.  Although Nemecek worked throughout Chicago he mostly worked doing portraiture from his home base in Pilsen. Nemecek was active from 1903 to 1950 in photography. In 1903 Nemecek had a photography studio located at 602 west 18^th St. (Chicago Union Labor Directory and Business Guide, 1903, pg. 111). The studio that Nemecek worked and lived in, after the location at 602, was located at 1439 west 18^th in the Pilsen neighborhood. The second floor studio featured a skylight that was ideal for shooting portraits before the invention of flashbulbs.

Pero, P. N. (2011). Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing.

Black text on a white background. The illustration has peach, yellow, blue, black, and red colors, and features a man with shaggy hair and glasses wearing a blazer.

Rube Goldberg, the cartoonist responsible for these "I'm the Guy" buttons is more famously known for his illustrations of inventions that were funny and complicated. His name is in the Webster dictionary is defined as "accomplishing by complex means what seemingly could be done simply". He was a dedicated cartoonist, doing both political and comical cartoons. Goldberg is also a founding member of the National Cartoonist Society whose Reuben Award is named after his proper name, Rueben.

The popularity of the "I'm the guy..." slogans caught the eye of tobacco marketers. So if you wanted one of these buttons back in the 1910's, you'd have to buy some of their cigarettes. 

There was even an "I'm the guy" song !