|
"We see current button holders as the caretakers for the
preservation of America's first historical artifact"
 
  
~
To
all the button enthusiasts who's small contributions
helped America have a future historical legacy
~
With the recent explosion of metal detecting in the last
twenty five years, people have been unearthing buttons
that collectors and button enthusiasts have forgotten
about. Sixty or seventy years ago in Albert's and Cobb's
time, they weren't afforded the luxury of information
technology, or technical equipment to unearth buttons
like we do today. Now we are having an increasing number
of unearthed finds at an exponential rate by a new
generation of metal detector enthusiasts, we are given
the rare opportunity in the late 20th and 21st century
to catalog these newly discovered buttons that were
either unknown to exist, or lost over time. I myself
have been able to add Seven new Sub-Varieties of George
Washington Inaugural buttons and One New Variety that
left no historical records of manufacturing. Being a
metal detector hobbyist myself, I understand the time is
ticking because of our expanding population to blacktop
our lands and once past historical areas for
urbanization. So I cannot understate the importance of
documenting your rare find or unknown late 18th Century
American Patriot, British Loyalist, or George Washington
Inaugural button. One has to look past their own
personal importance, fear, and greed and understand the
importance of a contribution for the preservation, and
education of a legacy they can leave behind for future
American collectors.
Having a unique web site such as this has afforded me
the special excitement of sharing in someone's
excitement when they have discovered a new or lost
button while metal detecting, or someone sharing a
family heirloom that has been lost in the public site.
There is no excitement more for me (aside from my
daughter Isabela) then someone writing an email to me
with their treasures. This site is for the mature
collector to put away their fears of discovery, and
share in the education of others, so we all have a
better understanding of our proud American history.
Mr. Cobb's original book
contained a forward that Kirk Mitchell had restated in
2005, and I would like to restate it again here within
my documentation page.
My modified Cobb forward:
Economically each of us acts like Robinson Crusoe on his
own little island of collectable interests. If we forget
to help promote the interest of our cherished treasures
for new people, our field of study and endeavor will
in-turn diminish our own prized collectable interests.
Furthermore, who will then appreciate all our hard
diligent efforts that we have painstakingly taken in
order to obtain our valuable pieces in our collections.
Who will then know of all our dedicated efforts, and
hard work to obtain the necessary information, and
exacting details for the promotion of study? If we as
collectors do not promote a healthy competition through
displaying, buying, selling, or trading, how would we
place a real value on the individual pieces in our
esteemed collections? If the generation of collectors
before us acted a recluse, and kept all of their hard
research and values of their collection pieces to
themselves without sharing, they will die with all their
hard struggles for information they had to endure, as
well as the sources of knowledge they accumulated. As a
collector, can we legitimately be so ego centrically
that we cannot share our lifetimes hard work and efforts
with our fellow collectors, or more importantly with
America's future generations? Will our hard work and
collections be for nothing? This could be the most
serious loss of all -- the loss of
the wealth of knowledge for
America's future generations.
~ This is why I have started this resource site, and
have worked diligently over the last 2 years in it's
creation, so my fellow brother Button collectors can
pool and share their information on their George
Washington Inaugural Buttons and Patriot Buttons in an
on going manor into the future.~
This modified Forward is dedicated to the past
generation of Button Collectors who helped afford us
this opportunity to remember and cherish America's
heirlooms. These people pretty much had the principle
collections in the United States: Harold J. Cobb, Elmer
Piercy, A.H. Albert, Warren K. Tice, J. Doyle DeWitt,
Harry & Sally Luscomb, Arthur & Ruth Wilson, Winthrop &
Helen Richmond, L. Kirk Mosler, F. O'Brien, The Lightner
Museum, Waterbury Co Museum, and the Smithsonian.
This is in recognition of the people that are known in
our generation that specialize in Military & Political
Buttons of the late 18th & 19th Century. They would have
either owned or sold
at least
200 military or
political buttons that are more then 150 years
old:
This list would
include everyone from collectors, vendors, and authors
of articles and books. These people would have helped
propagate the World of Button Collecting through sales,
trade, and education. They realized the importance of
their time and effort, and gave of themselves
unselfishly so there would be a tomorrow for future
collectors.~ William Leigh, Bill Henderson, Robert
Silverstein, Debra Spaier, Jim Dews, Harry Ridgeway, Don
Troiani, Ted Hakes, David Gerber, Ransom Hundley, Cary
Delray, Dana Linett of Early American, Al Anderson, Tom
French, Dale Hawley, Chet / Pat Small & Sons, Rex Stark,
Gene Dillman, Chris Costain, Wess Thompson, and Pete @
Antique Military Buttons.
~The Easy Form To Document Your GW Button or George
Washington Medalet~
1) Send in two Pictures of your button's obverse and
reverse on a White background.
2) Include where & when you bought /or dug your button.
3) Your Name, Phone Number, and Email.
4) Smile that you helped contribute, and look forward to
seeing your button online with other enthusiasts. |
