Button
late 18th century
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1925-2-21-a
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet intriguing *Button* from the late 18th century offers a glimpse into everyday life during America's formative years, just after the Revolutionary War. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Smithsonian Collection and classified under costume and accessories, it was generously gifted by collectors Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt. Though the artist's identity and exact medium remain under research, such buttons were essential fasteners in period clothing, adorning waistcoats, breeches, and gowns of the era. In the late 1700s, buttons transcended mere utility, becoming mark...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...