Button
19th century
Medium
costume & accessories
Classification
costume & accessories
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-59-167-a
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection costume and accessories, this enigmatic 19th-century *Button* invites visitors to ponder the small details that shaped everyday life. Donated by the renowned collectors Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt—sisters who amassed treasures now enriching institutions like the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum—this unassuming artifact highlights how even humble fasteners were integral to fashion and personal expression during the Victorian era. In the 1800s, buttons evolved from mere utility to miniature works of art, often crafted from materia...
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...