Rhinestone and Bakelite. Plastic and rubber …

May 14 | 2020

In the opening chapter of The Smallest Objective, the narrator sets aside all ideas of treasure for nine days, focusing on nothing but buttons. Examples like the clovers, football, and flowers illustrated here are called “realistics”—because of their true-to-life shapes. Also known as “goofies,” these kinds of buttons first appeared in the late 1930s. The display you see is from my own collection. Other goofies masquerade as squirrels and Scottie dogs, bowls of fruit, cigarette packets, and even Heinz pickles!

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