Illustration of a U.S. flag flying from a flag pole, printed on a white background surrounded by a jagged blue border.

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Bold purple outlined text on a light yellow background.

This button was created by Donnelly/Colt Progressive Resources, a family-owned business that designs and distributes materials for promoting progressive messages on social issues.

White background with red Women's Liberation logo

Robin Morgan designed this button for the 1969 Miss America Pageant protest. There are many versions of similar buttons.  The color of the symbol, now synonymous with the Women's Rights Movement, is "menstrual red." Morgan selected the name out of concern that the cosmetics company sponsoring the pageant would use the red color to sell lipstick. 

Black text on white background

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Red stop sign with white text above black text on white background.

"Stop Civilian Review Boards" was a slogan coined by opponents of a movement to add civilian members to Civilian Complaint Review Boards previously administered by New York City policemen. Civilian Complaint Review Boards were around since 1953, but previously had handled complaints by New York civilians against the police using a committee that consisted solely of civilian administrators of the police department. Supporters of the referendum touted it as a tool against racism, while the police opposed it and eventually the public voted the bill down. In 1987, the New York Civilian Review Board started admitting civilians that were unaffiliated with the police department.

White background with red, white, and blue butterfly graphic; blue text with red, white, and blue "O"

The image on this button was designed by McQ Inc. of Indianapolis, Indiana. The company was founded by Robert McQuade who was an advertising agent who wanted to encourage a large voter turnout.  The company created many items with vote logos on them like this button and interestingly, a record by The Fourth Room titled Vote that uses the same image. "Vote" is the A-side song about voting written by the American jingle writer Ed Labunski. The record was released on McQ Records in Indianapolis Indiana in 1971. 

The image of the butterfly on the button represents peace and freedom and was meant to appeal to “free spirited youth”. While the image on the other button in the Button Museum’s collection of an eagle with a tear was meant to represent the pain the country felt over the Vietnam War and to appeal to older patriotic Americans.

Red text on white background, black image of nuclear power plant

Established in 1977, Mobilization for Survival is a national coalition of local disarmament, anti-intervention, safe energy, religious, and community organizations. The coalition was organized around four main goals: "Zero Nuclear Weapons, Ban Nuclear Power, Stop the Arms Race, and Fund Human Needs." The first two goals garnered the most attention, and in subsequent years Mobilization for Survival sponsored and organized hundreds of public gatherings and teach-ins to spread the message of disarmament.

Green image of a pickle and green text on a white background. 

This button was created by Pickle Packers International, Inc., which has served the pickled vegetable industry for almost 120 years. In 1967, they held a convention in Washington, DC and they’re secretary-treasurer at the time was quoted in a newspaper article as saying, “pickles make paychecks”. The newspaper article also noted that they were forming the Pickle Political Party, which was handed out these buttons at their convention. 

Black background with yellow text.

Designer of the button, Kim Matthews said:

"USA" in blue and white star block letters over red text on a white background.

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