Check List of Calico Buttons

Contrary to what one might expect a calico button to be, such as a calico cloth covered button, this book refers to a china button with printed calico designs. A calico textile pattern was printed in ink on paper that was then laid on top of a tray of fired china buttons. As the tray made a second trip through the kiln, heat transferred the inked pattern onto the surface of the button and the paper was burned away. The author, Mr. Wilfred Morgan, was the first person to publish a catalog of calico button patterns. His catalog has since been used for reference by collectors and the National Button Society. This 1939 pattern book features 150 designs and has check list worksheets in the back for gathering and recording button data. Calico buttons are in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s collection, some of whose patterns are found in this title.