Included in the “Government Marine” section of my button collection is a U.S. The buttons marked a CPO and in nickel were worn by officer wardroom stewards by the 1940s, the nickel buttons came to be replaced by white plastic buttons. With the re-design of the CPO reefer from eight to six buttons, buttons once exclusively worn by officers became standard for CPOs. The plain anchor button of the Chief Petty Officer is often confused with that of a general nautical button however, each of the examples presented shows the variation on a theme.
The Waterbury button (NA-113) is a good example of this craftsmanship some contracts were better than others, and for mass-market buttons, items such as NA-115 could be had (this came from the estate of an ex-American Mail Lines quartermaster). Many of these early buttons were of sophisticated composition and had fine detail. Many United States Navy buttons were manufactured in England however, with the emigration of British artisans to New England, a button industry sprang up in Connecticut. Buttons are one of those items easily overlooked, yet understanding them provides a wealth of information. I have another page devoted to the buttons of United States Lines, here.ĭo note: I am not a button collector by any stretch of the imagination, but I keep a collection of buttons to assist with identifying and dating uniforms and uniform items. and in the context of this project, where a seaman figured within a ship’s hierarchy.īelow, please find my reference collection, as well as an interesting button collection at the American Merchant Marine Museum – the Dollar Lines button, is amazing. coupled with fabric and insignia construction, buttons offer an excellent means of identifying the context of uniforms and their period of manufacture.
In the American maritime profession, British traditions hold sway and along with them British forms and configuration of a uniform with the placement and design of buttons. And yet despite being so small, the uniform button is often laden with symbolism endemic to the organization that wears it. A button on a coat, shirt, or trousers is an ever-present – simple molded affair or complex construction. The button is such a commonplace item that it is taken for granted and paid not much attention. USN Black Anchor Button (gutta purcha), 1930s.
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