Join me at the New Jersey State Button Society (NJSBS) for its 75th Anniversary on Saturday, May 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Spring Show and Sale is at the Union Fire Company hall, 1396 River Road (Route 29), Titusville, NJ 08560, where there is plenty of free parking.  All are welcome; admission is $2 for adults, free for juniors to age 17.

At 1:30 an historic costume will be auctioned. Covered with old mother of pearl buttons, it is fashioned after the English Pearly outfits, dating from the 19th century, which are still being worn today by Pearly Kings and Queens in London to raise money for charities. Ruth Berry, a pioneer in button collecting since the 1940s,  wore it with matching pearly shoes, for special button shows and events.

Thanks to Laura Pollack and Vincent Xu of Hopewell Express for this article quoting Carol Meszaros and Sara Mulford about the joys of collecting buttons. Thanks to Yanis Careto of Hopeless Nostalgic for the photo of Carol Meszaros taken at an NJSBS program at the Lawrence Library.