Bowie

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Text on Button BOWIE
Image Description

Black line image of David Bowie on a cream background. Faded red or pink text curved along lower right edge of button. 

Curl Text Made In Canada
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While best known for his music, David Bowie was also an actor and record producer. His career began in 1969 with the album Space Oddity, but he became most popular after 1972 when his glam-rock style and alter-ego Ziggy Stardust emerged. In 1976, he introduced a new persona, the Thin White Duke. Hit songs from his career include "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes" and his work with Queen, "Under Pressure." Bowie passed away in 2016 at the age of 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. 

Sources

David Bowie. (n.d.). About. https://www.davidbowie.com/about 

Catalog ID MU0053

David Bowie Eyes

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Text on Button David Bowie
Image Description

Small oval color image of eyes centered on a black background. White text above image. 

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While best known for his music, David Bowie was also an actor and record producer. His career began in 1969 with the album Space Oddity, but he became most popular after 1972 when his glam-rock style and alter-ego Ziggy Stardust emerged. In 1976, he introduced a new persona, the Thin White Duke. Hit songs from his career include "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes" and his work with Queen, "Under Pressure."

Sources

David Bowie. (n.d.). About. https://www.davidbowie.com/about

Catalog ID MU0015

David Bowie

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Text on Button David Bowie
Image Description

Illustration of David Bowie in pastel tones with silhouette of a woman in background. Black text aligned at bottom center, all on white background. 

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While best known for his music, David Bowie was also an actor and record producer. His career began in 1969 with the album Space Oddity, but he became most popular after 1972 when his glam-rock style and alter-ego Ziggy Stardust emerged. In 1976, he introduced a new persona, the Thin White Duke. Hit songs from his career include "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes" and his work with Queen, "Under Pressure." The image on this button is taken from his 1980 album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).

Sources

David Bowie. (n.d.). About. https://www.davidbowie.com/about 

Discogs. (n.d.). David Bowie— Scary Monsters. https://www.discogs.com/master/30425-David-Bowie-Scary-Monsters 

Catalog ID MU0017

Bruce Springsteen The River

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Text on Button BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN THE RIVER
Image Description

Greyscale photograph of Bruce Springsteen on black background. Blue text on upper right portion of button. 

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Bruce Springsteen is an American singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist known for American and working-class themes in his songs. His most successful album was 1984's Born in the U.S.A.

The River is Bruce Springsteen's 1980 double album. It featured the artist's first top-ten single of his music career, "Hungry Heart." While this album was released before his huge spike in popularity a few years later, it was an important step in his music career. 

Sources

The River (Bruce Springsteen album). (2024, October 31). In Wikipedia. Retrieved November 5, 2024 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_River_(Bruce_Springsteen_album) 

Catalog ID MU0052

Bob Dylan

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Image Description

Color photograph of Bob Dylan singing into a microphone.

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Born Robert Zimmerman, Bob Dylan is an American singer, songwriter, and cultural icon. Many of his songs reflect political and social themes, such as the 1964 "The Times They Are a-Changin." Thus, his work was very popular with activists in the civil rights movement and anti-war movements. His music style is primarily folk, though he has at times incorporated rock and roll, blues, and gospel. He has also become widely known for his lengthy tours. In 2012, he released the album Tempest, which received some critical acclaim. 

Sources

Bob Dylan's most important protest songs. (2023, December 2). Radio X. https://www.radiox.co.uk/features/bob-dylans-most-important-protest-songs/ 

Catalog ID MU0045

Bessie Bellwood

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Text on Button BESSIE BELLWOOD
Image Description

Greyscale photograph of Bessie Bellwood wearing an elaborate hat. White background. Black text centered on bottom portion of button. 

Back Paper / Back Info

Sweet Caporal Cigarette Buttons Manufactured by The Whitehead & Hoag Co. Badges & Buttons Newark, N.J.

Pat. July 21 1896 Pat. July 17 1894 Pat. April 14 1896

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Bessie Bellwood was a popular music hall performer in the Victorian Era. She sang "Coster" songs, taking the onstage persona of a fruit vendor, and was very popular with working-class audiences. She was skilled in improvisation, and often incorporated audience members into her songs. She was a woman of some notoriety: a skilled boxer, she was arrested for striking her maid. She was also known for her "relations with the Duke of Manchester and subsequently with the Marquis of Ailesbury," and became an alcoholic before her death from heart disease at age 39.

Sources

Bessie Bellwood Dead. (1896, Oct. 7). The Evening Telegram.

Catalog ID MU0043

With Love From Us to You The Beatles

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Text on Button WITH LOVE FROM US TO YOU THE BEATLES
Image Description

Greyscale cut-out photographs of the Beatle's faces on a white background. Blue text wrapped around outer edge with hot pink insects. 

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The song "From Me To You" was written by Beatles members Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a single in 1963 on the Parlophone label, and was the band's first number one song in the United Kingdom.

Sources

From me to you. (2023, February 28). In The Beatles Bible. Retrieved October 24, 2024 from https://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/from-me-to-you/ 

Catalog ID MU0021

The Beatles Yesterday and Today

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Image Description

Photograph of the Beatles posed with naked, dismantled baby dolls. White background. 

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The Beatles' album Yesterday and Today was released June 15th, 1966.  Robert Whitaker designed the controversial album cover, later to be referred to as the "butcher" cover. Some believe the cover was used for the Beatles to voice their opinions on how Capitol Records "butchered" and altered their albums for the American market. Other sources state the true meaning of the cover was to protest the Vietnam War. Due to public demand, the cover was replaced.  This incident was the first time the Beatles were negatively criticized by the media.

Sources

Duncan, J. (2023, October 20). The story of the infamous Beatles butcher cover. Music Goldmine. https://musicgoldmine.com/blogs/news/the-story-of-the-infamous-beatles-butcher-cover 

Millisky, R. (2022, March 8). The truth about the Beatles' Yesterday and Today album art. Grunge. https://www.grunge.com/792392/the-truth-about-the-beatles-yesterday-and-today-album-art/ 

Catalog ID MU0061

Beattle Booster

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Text on Button BEATTLE BOOSTER RINGO PAUL JOHN GEORGE ®
Image Description

Lenticular button switches between two images: 1) Black text on white background and grey scale photographs of Ringo, Paul, John, and George. 2) The same, with each band member's name in black text replacing their face. 

Back Paper / Back Info

VARI-VUE® MT. VERNON, N.Y., U.S.A. PAT. NO. 2,815,310

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Made in 1964, this lenticular button is one of the earliest American-made Beatles memorabilia items. The misspelling of Beatle as "Beattle" is a mystery. 

Sources

Beatles group of seven vintage flasher buttons (US, 1964) [Auction listing]. (2015). Heritage Auctions. https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/music-memorabilia/memorabilia/beatles-group-of-seven-vintage-flasher-buttons-us-1964-/a/7149-89201.s 

Harmeyer, D. (n.d.). The Beatles collection. Intelligent Collector. https://intelligentcollector.com/beatles-collection/ 

Catalog ID MU0054

The Banana Splits

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Text on Button The Banana Splits
Image Description

Cartoon image of a beagle, gorilla, lion, and elephant holding musical instruments on a bright yellow background. Black printed handwriting style text curved along bottom portion of button. 

Curl Text C. Hanna Barbara Productions, Inc. 1972 - C. Best Seal Corporation New York, 10013 1972
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The Banana Splits were a fictional rock group featured in The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, a children’s variety program that ran from 1968 to 1970 on NBC Saturday mornings. The Banana Splits were composed of Fleegle on guitar, Bingo on drums, Drooper on bass, and Snorky on keyboards. Each episode featured a meeting of the “Banana Splits Club”, with the Banana Splits being members of the club. In 1972 ABC aired a feature film, The Banana Splits in Hocus Pocus Park. The Banana Splits theme song has been covered by acts such The Dickies and Liz Phair, while other songs performed by The Banana Splits have been covered by Mr. T Experience and Girl Trouble. 

Sources

Discogs. (n.d.). Liz Phair with Material Issue— The tra la la song (One banana, two banana). https://www.discogs.com/release/5197128-Liz-Phair-With-Material-Issue-The-Tra-La-La-Song-One-Banana-Two-Banana 

The Banana Splits. (2024, October 30). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 30, 2024 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banana_Splits

WhoSampled. (n.d.). Banana Splits- Samples, covers. https://www.whosampled.com/Banana-Splits/ 

 

Catalog ID MU0040