Button Books?

[Roy]

Hi Gents,

I have always known that collecting 'buttons' has a passionate following but it is an area I have not really explored prior - famous last words as I went ahead and bought my first button recently..

So can I ask those experienced button collectors what are the standard referenced on this topic?

Looking forward to any recommendations.

Cheers, Roy.

[GTB]

Hi Roy,

To start you off, these should provide you with an excellent reference base.

Shoulder-Belt Plates & Buttons - Parkyn, H.G.
Buttons of the British Army - Ripley, H.
Buttons - A Guide For Collectors - Squire, G.

Naturally, there are separate publications to specific organisations, i.e. Yeomanry, Militia, etc. Unfortunately, quite a number of books are out-of-print. It all depends upon your speciality.

Rgds
GTB

[davidwyke]

Hi Roy

There are lots of reference works, it depends on what your collecting interests are.

The two main references for British Army tunic buttons are both by Howard Ripley:

"Buttons Of The British Army 1855 - 1970" and "Buttons Of the Regular Army 1855-2000".

There are also other volumes (some by HR) on Yeomanry, Rifle Volunteers, English Militia, Scottish & Welsh Militia, Local Militia, Irish Militia.

A general guide to worldwide buttons (military & civilian) is "Buttons: A Guide For Collectors" (Squire).

"Shoulder Belt Plates & Buttons" (Parkyn) gives brief details of mostly early buttons.

There are a set of books by Lt Col Poulsom dealing with pre 1947 Indian buttons.

There are also many books dealing with foreign buttons but these aren't really what I collect.

David

GTB beat me to it....

[Roy]

Hi Gents,

Thanks so much, a great start and plenty for me to get started on.

My main interest is in early Shropshire units, i.e. 19th Century Militia, Rifle Volunteers etc.

Cheers, Roy.

[davidwyke]

Originally Posted by Roy

Hi Gents,

Thanks so much, a great start and plenty for me to get started on.

My main interest is in early Shropshire units, i.e. 19th Century Militia, Rifle Volunteers etc.

Cheers, Roy.

In that case try the following, haven't checked but they should have at least a limited amount of info on early (non-regular army) Shropshire buttons:

Yeomanry Buttons 1830-2000 (Ripley & Darmanin)
Rifle Volunteer Buttons (Ripley & Darmanin)
English Infantry Militia Buttons (1757-1881) (Ripley & Darmanin)
Local Militia Buttons (Ripley & Moodie)

You should be able to get the first three at a very reasonable price from the MHS, if they are still in stock.

David

[Roy]

Outstanding David,

Many thanks indeed.

I only have a couple to start this area of collecting off but what a nightmare photographing these little beauties...

Roy.

[Chipper]

Oh dear Roy,

I went down that slippery path recently. "Just the one, then no more - I'll just get it to have a look really..." "I'm not addicted, I can stop anytime I like..."

Tim

PS - I've got Ripley's "Buttons of the Regular Army 1855 - 2000" and it is good for my circa WW1 interest.

[davidwyke]

Originally Posted by Roy

Outstanding David,

Many thanks indeed.

I only have a couple to start this area of collecting off but what a nightmare photographing these little beauties...

Roy.

I'm hopeless at photographing anything but particularly buttons - good luck!!

David

[Roy]

Tim - yes O dear, a slippery slope indeed.

I have been desperately trying not to indulge those cravings but I saw a button a few weeks back and couldn't stop my fingers clicking all those keys to buy it. Once that was done - then the next.. All is lost I feel....

David - I spent the whole day photographing a tiny little button and after a few efforts realized this was no small task. It may be the smallest thing in my collection but gosh it's be biggest photographic challenge. The shinny domed, reflective surface, it's enough to drive one crazy.

Here is my best attempt (see attached) took about a hundred goes to get this one.

Cheers, Roy.

[Cribyn]

Hello Roy

That photo is much better than most of my attempts and I have been trying for years!

Whenever I try to photograph a shiny button with a lot of plain surface area all I get to see is my camera lens reflecting back! Stand back a little to avoid this effect and, hey! where's the button gone?

It would be a lot easier if I could just draw them like Denis Darmanin, now there's a man with a lot of skill and patience!

Regards
Roger

[btns]

A decent flatbed scanner gives easy and acceptable results.
(Do not try an all-in-one printer, because they are very poor in depth scanning)
E.g. an unprocessed image from an older HP series scanner.

[davidwyke]

Hi Roy

I'm the last person to give you any technical advice on photographing buttons but I can give you one "non-technical" tip: if you post photos/scans of buttons on the forum, try to do both back and front; the back of a button can often reveal as much as the front.

David

PS... button looks like 1st Admin Bn, Shropshire Rifle Vols - c.1860-1880

[Roy]

Hi David,

Thanks for that, working on it as we speak. Yes you're correct on which button this is, so much detail in such a small button. Will post the 'front/back' pic I'm working on in a mo.

Cheers, Roy.

[Roy]

Here you go chaps,

My attempt at a combination photo showing front and back.

Cheers, Roy.

[davidwyke]

HA!!

Of course, given that I asked Roy to post a photo of the back we now have one of the few Victorian Officers tunic buttons with no maker's details at all.

Roy, it's an Officers button and I'll stick with c. 1860-1880.

David