Abstract design of four black and white triangles on a yellow background. 

This illustration is part of a series of buttons that were distributed at the Park Place Gallery in New York, the first art gallery in SoHo. According to an Art in America article, they were given out during the opening show in 1966 at a party for the Rolling Stones at the Scene discotheque. Each design was created by different artists including Dean Fleming, Tony Magar, Tamara Melcher, Patsy Krebs, and Steve Vasey. According to Fleming, the colorful geometric designs encourage the viewer to interpret the art in their own way.

Black and white photographic image of Albert Einstein's face on a black background. 

Albert Einstein (14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity and the mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc^2_, which has been dubbed "the world's most famous equation". His great achievements have made the word "Einstein" synonymous with "genius". Einstein won the Nobel Prize in Physics and was named Man of the Century by Time magazine but he actually did not do very well in school, once failing his university entrance exam; and had a very poor memory. Two of Einstein's least favorite things were haircuts and socks, while his two favorite things were sailing and his violin, which he named Lina. 

Illustration of a man with several noses around his head with white text on a red background.

This button is from the 1965 series of LEAF "Fink Buttons" illustrated by popular Mid-Century artist Basil Wolverton. Perhaps best known for his work at MAD Magazine, Basil Wolverton (July 9, 1909 – December 31, 1978) was an American cartoonist and illustrator famous for his humorously grotesque drawings. Wolverton worked in the "Golden Age" of comic books doing features like "Powerhouse Pepper" and "Spacehawk" in the 1940s. A 2009 New York Times article states that Wolverton’s drawings embodied the “sick-and-proud humor” of MAD magazine and were considered a “virtuoso exercise in bad taste, made all the weirder for being so meticulously executed.” 

Black outline illustration of a separated top half and bottom half of a woman dancing on a wood floor with music symbols forming an arch in the background. Black illustration and text on a green background. 

This button promoted the "Dance Your Ass Off" dance party at the Frisco Disco club in San Francisco. San Francisco had one of the largest disco scenes in the late 1970s, which was centered on discotheques, nightclubs, and private parties where DJs would play top disco hits for clubgoers. Disco.com published a playlist by DJ Pete Struve for a Dance Your Ass Off party in 1976. 

Illustration of a brown house, tree with yellow and green leaves, and swimming pool in front of a sunset with chrome trim ring. 

This watercolor illustration featuring a pastoral landscape was created by Fred Henzel, artist and button maker for the Busy Beaver Button Co. Henzel grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. He attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the Pratt Institute of the Arts for art training and education. Henzel began exhibiting art in 2006. At the time of writing, Henzel is the Cultural Arts Director at SpArc Philadelphia.

Red curved arrow and blue text on a white background. The first letters of the bottom text have been covered with white-out and written over in blue marker with the letters "R U". 

Consolidated Edison is a utility company providing gas, electric, and steam service in New York City. A power blackout occurred in New York in 1977 in which Con Edison was accused of "gross negligence" resulting in wide-spread looting, violence, vandalism, and arson. The blackout sparked many protest buttons with slogans such as "Down with Con Edison" and "Con Ed has us by the Bulbs".

This artifact appears to have started as a promotional button FOR Con Ed customer service turnaround, but has been altered to become a statement AGAINST Con Ed by changing Turnaround to Run Around implying the service is wasting customer time.

Abstract design of red crescent shape on a black and white background. 

This illustration is part of a series of buttons that were distributed at the Park Place Gallery in New York, the first art gallery in SoHo. According to an Art in America article, they were given out during the opening show in 1966 and at a party for the Rolling Stones at the Scene discotheque. The buttons were designed by different artists including Dean Fleming, Tony Magar, Tamara Melcher, Patsy Krebs, and Steve Vasey. According to Fleming, the colorful geometric designs encourage the viewer to interpret the art in their own way.

Cartoon illustration of a face with a finger in the nose. Tan face with brown hair, pink pupils, and two brown circles on cheeks. 

This cartoon face illustration of a nose picker is part of a series of buttons by an unknown artist. The faces are intended to elicit lighthearted humor and depict exaggerated features or expressions to elicit laughs. This series was created at Colonial Sales, a greeting card and stationary shop in Massachusetts.

Abstract design of three large shapes of varying shades of blue and 7 small light blue shapes on a white background. 

This image is a hand painted button. It was created by an unknown artist and found in a closet in Wicker Park, Chicago.

Abstract design of a blue shape, yellow dots, and a red curved shape on a metallic gold background. 

This image is a hand painted button. It was created by an unknown artist and found in a closet in Wicker Park, Chicago.