History
Button Badges
Button badges were made possible by the invention of celluloid in 1870. The first button badges were manufactured in 1896 by Whitehead and Hoag of New Jersey. Millions were pressed in the first year celebrating baseball stars, actresses, red indians etc. The Lily Langtry badge on the home page was given away with Sweet Caporal cigarettes.
The badge flourished again in the 1950s promoting holiday camps, comics, cinema clubs and products. The 1960s saw the growth of anti-establishment/protest badges, quickly followed by the music/punk explosion of the 70s.
Enamel Badges
The invention of the dropstamp machine around 1840 made mass production of enamel badges possible. They first appeared in quantity towards the end of the 19th century. Manufacturing methods have hardly changed - enamel badges are still fired and polished by hand for the best finish.
Pinned Down Badge Exhibition
The first exhibition of badges, Pinned Down, was curated by Vinny Cleary and took place at the Midland Group, Nottingham in December 1979. Brian Love designed the poster and loaned badges as did many collectors and manufacturers.
Badge Collectors Circle
The badge collectors circle started in 1980 and is here...
Button Badges
Button badges were made possible by the invention of celluloid in 1870. The first button badges were manufactured in 1896 by Whitehead and Hoag of New Jersey. Millions were pressed in the first year celebrating baseball stars, actresses, red indians etc. The Lily Langtry badge on the home page was given away with Sweet Caporal cigarettes.
The badge flourished again in the 1950s promoting holiday camps, comics, cinema clubs and products. The 1960s saw the growth of anti-establishment/protest badges, quickly followed by the music/punk explosion of the 70s.
Enamel Badges
The invention of the dropstamp machine around 1840 made mass production of enamel badges possible. They first appeared in quantity towards the end of the 19th century. Manufacturing methods have hardly changed - enamel badges are still fired and polished by hand for the best finish.
Pinned Down Badge Exhibition
The first exhibition of badges, Pinned Down, was curated by Vinny Cleary and took place at the Midland Group, Nottingham in December 1979. Brian Love designed the poster and loaned badges as did many collectors and manufacturers.
Badge Collectors Circle
The badge collectors circle started in 1980 and is here...