Button
1870–1900
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1931-59-61-b,c
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This unassuming button, dating from 1870 to 1900, offers a glimpse into the everyday elegance of late 19th-century American life Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection costume and accessories, it exemplifies how small personal objects captured the era's fashion sensibilities during the Gilded Age—a time of rapid industrialization, immigration, and evolving social norms. Buttons like this one were essential fasteners on garments, from women's corseted dresses to men's tailored suits, blending functionality with ornamentation. Though the artist and medium remain unknown amid...
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...