Painted image of a tan face half covered in brown shadow and dark brown hair in front of a yellow and brown background. 

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

Pink, green, yellow, and white illustration of a woman's face in profile with stars, stripes, and spades designs.

Peter Max (b. October 19, 1937) is a German-born American illustrator and graphic artist, known for his use of psychedelic shapes and color palettes. His bright, colorful work was often imitated in commercial illustration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. 

Photo image of W.C. Fields playing cards with the cards held close to his face. The image is tinted orange, yellow, and green. The name "peter max" appears at the bottom of the button in pink text surrounded by a black line border. 

Peter Max (b. October 19, 1937) is a German-born American illustrator and graphic artist, known for his use of psychedelic shapes and color palettes. During the late 1960s and and early 1970s, Max used intense bursts of color in his work, incorporating many colors in one image. He also often used popular American icons, celebrities, and symbols in his work, such as as the actor W.C. Fields.

W.C. Fields (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946) was an American actor, comedian, juggler, and writer. He was known for his comic persona as a pessimistic, aggressive and suspicious-natured men with great fondness of alcohol.

Painted image of four heads with orange faces; two with blond hair, one with light brown hair, and one with dark brown hair sitting in dark blue water with light blue dots on a light blue background. 

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

Illustration of a young girl in a red dress with white hair and large white eyes on a white background with black text in the lower right corner.

One of a series of 86 different comic character buttons issued by Kellogg's and given away with PEP cereal between 1945-1947. Other characters in the series included Dick Tracy, Popeye and Felix the Cat.

Little Orphan Annie was a daily American comic strip created by Harold Gray that was first published in 1924 and ran until 2010. The comic featured the adventures of Annie, the little red-haired orphan, and her dog, Sandy.

Abstract design of alternating blue and red lines and orange and green dots on a white and gray background. 

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

Cartoon illustration of an orange face with brown wavy hair, eyes closed, and a yellow hand pinching a long nose. 

This cartoon face illustration of a nose holder 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.

Painted image of green circles with blue, purple, and yellow stripes and dots on a peach background with red stripes and yellow squiggles. 

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

Illustration of blue, orange, pink, and green stick figures with black motion lines around them. Two of the figures' heads are drawn as male gender symbols linked together, while the other two figures heads' are drawn as female gender symbols linked together. Yellow background with a white border. 

"Untitled" is an illustration from one of the best-known artists from the 20th century, Keith Haring. Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an artist and social activist from Pennsylvania whose work was influenced by the New York City street culture and graffiti art of the 1980s. A 1997 Vanity Fair article states that "some of his most characteristic imagery involved figures twirling around and playing together, happy but never aimless." Since Haring's early death from AIDS-related illness in 1990, images he created that speak about racism, drug addiction, AIDS awareness and tolerance have become iconic. "Untitled" was created to promote NYC Heritage of Pride. It is an organization that advocates for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality and awareness. The dancing figures with male and female symbols has been used as the logo for Heritage of Pride.

Illustration of a group of intertwined black outlined figures on a white background. Red text wraps all the way around the illustration. 

"Party of Life" is an illustration from one of the best-known artists from the 20th century, Keith Haring. Keith Allen Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) was an artist and social activist from Pennsylvania whose work was influenced by the New York City street culture and graffiti art of the 1980s. A 1997 Vanity Fair article states that "some of his most characteristic imagery involved figures twirling around and playing together, happy but never aimless." Since Haring's early death from AIDS-related illness in 1990, images he created that speak about racism, drug addiction, AIDS awareness and tolerance have become iconic.

This button was used as a ticket to attend Haring's "Party of Life" event in 1985, which was an exhibit of Haring's art. The image represents Haring's feeling upon arriving in New York City. Growing up as a gay man in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, Haring felt the need to find a place where he has the freedom to express his creativity and artistry. New York gave him such liberation. When asked about the movement in his figures, Haring indicated in an interview that he felt the city was dancing and he needed the join "the dance."