Saturday, October 03, 2009

pearl buttons

A few weeks ago, we ventured to Muscatine, Iowa
to see the Pearl Button Museum.

Our friend Pauls father had a business back in
the day, that took mussels from the Wabash River
in this area and shipped them to that town.

I heard a few local oral histories and a few
people commented on his father and his
treatment of the workers at that time.
It did not surprise me as it seems all
of his family easily related to people
on an equal basis.

Here's a short clip:



11 comments:

mum said...

the part I like the most are the leftover shells once they've been punched for buttons. Can you imagine the cool things one could do with those?

Nice one, cm.

cheers

(Oh, the Picasso quote: right on; what does common sense have to do with it - except once the work is done, obviously.)

layers said...

always interesting to go to factories and places to see how things are made-- I would be checking out the gears, and old or rusty equipment in and old factory--- new ones would not be as interesting to me.

ArtSparker said...

Mother of pearl buttons - some of my favorite things.

Anonymous said...

C.M. way cool! I always marval at how things are produced. Thanks for the tour :)

And like the "open" signage :)

Coffee Messiah said...

mum: I wondered that also. Maybe wind chimes?
Cheers back to you and yours!

layers: The old equipment is indeed very cool.

artS: They're very beautiful and all different.

subT: Hey, Thanks!

Tom said...

wow, love all the huge b+w murals. Wondering if my Hawkeye inlaws have ever heard of this Muscatine? Will ask for sure.

Tess Kincaid said...

I loved this post. I have a whole tackle box full of old buttons, many of them mother of pearl.

tony said...

The saddest thing about Heritage Museums is how quiet they are compered with what the Noise must have been like when they were in their Pomp!Yes! Wind Chimes would be rather Cool!

Coffee Messiah said...

tom: I'm sure if they have. It was the hot bed of these buttons in the early 1900s.

willow: Anything from nature is rich by default ; )

tony: I agree, although what the future has in store seems a bit precarious, since funding is so slim, especially here in the usa.

ratatouille's archives said...

Hi! C.M.,
What a very interesting tour of the Pearl Button Museum.
Thanks, for sharing!
DeeDee ;-D

Coffee Messiah said...

dd: Thanks for taking the time to look. It was a fascinating experience, especially since we knew Pauls family was involved in this work out here.