If you have a button to add, upload it to the comments. It’s one of the nice things about the Internet — we can all have a button collection without having to have a button collection.
If you have a button to add, upload it to the comments. It’s one of the nice things about the Internet — we can all have a button collection without having to have a button collection.
90 thoughts on “Duluth Button Collection”
“We’re Duluth and proud of it” is begging to be put on a T-shirt. Do any vendors or presses have such a product?
“Shut up and take my money.”
Well, there was this one.
Free Democracy Summit, 2006.
Fred Tyson!
I want to know what patriotic event happened in Duluth from April 2-8 in 1984.EDIT: And with about 30 seconds on Google, I found out it was the Air Canada Silver Broom world men’s curling championship.
The Shoppers’ City button, from the post “Zayre’s Shoppers’ City Discount Department Store in West Duluth.”
Here are a few I’ve had in my odds and ends box. The top two are from the Duluth Fall Fest and the bottom one has a 1920 penny embedded in it (might be for a loan company that was located in the old Lyceum Theatre).
I feel as though this button is especially ironic now.
Here are two Albert Woolson buttons from the collection at Veterans’ Memorial Hall at the Depot.
College of St. Scholastica centennial button:
I don’t remember when they stopped making buttons for Spirit Valley Days, but by 1994 they were getting lazy with the graphic design.
They still had a flare for the fancy in 1991.
Geek Prom! French Larry!
I’m fairly confident these are the two finest Duluth buttons ever.
This is not a button, but since there are Portorama buttons above, I thought I’d post the first-place plaque from the 1968 Portorama polo competition. Available for $1.50 (half price) at the estate sale on Jean Duluth Road.
For hockey fans …
Ripsaw! Transistor!
Chester Park Ski Club!
Duluth Arena, 1976!
I’d like to add a few buttons to the collection.
Duluth Junior Police button. Hayfever Club of America.
Another Patrick Product.
Three buttons from the 300-year celebration.
I have to say I was puzzled by these buttons until I looked it up. Tradition, esp. in the 1970s, was that men grew beards during celebratory founding years. You bought a button to say you were growing one (Brothers of the Brush) or had to have a pin saying you had a pass (shaver’s permit). And I guess just a button to not leave the ladies out of the fun. Four decades of living and I’d never heard of these before.
Charlie Bell for Mayor (R.I.P.)
In recognition of the bonding bill, “Save the Wade” circa the late 1980s and “Restore NorShor” from 2013.
Honor Brand!
MacArthur Elementary School!
Where did you find that Honor Brand button??? In fact, where do you find all of the obscure buttons? I see nothing on eBay … the closest I can come to anything is an old Duluth bumper sticker in screaming orange-and-yellow, stuck to the wall in my garage.
Well, and this.
Certainly not as cool as the buttons.
Most of them come from my attic or my parents’ basement, but the Honor Brand one came from hakes.com.
I go to antique stores and collect buttons. Some booths across town have good ones.
I recently unearthed this one from my sock drawer.
This one came from the 2014 UMD Homecoming Parade.
Here’s an alternate Fred Tyson.
A little self-promotion here.
Three Denfeld buttons:
After exhaustive research (asking my brother) I was able to make sense of the last one. It features Gilbert Giddyup and Speedy McGreedy, characters in Hardee’s restaurant promotions in the 1970s.
Here are five from the display case at On the Limit:
I have no idea what the deal was with the Midsommar Fest.
A few from Carlton County:
Another for the local music collection: Tim Kaiser – “Invisible Planets.”
And now, the 40-year reunion of the reunion button:
Fire!
From a rummage sale this weekend, Beargrease!
… and also an Empire 130 Sled Dog Race button. There isn’t much info on the web about it, but apparently the Empire 130 was an annual race from Solon Springs to Amnicon Lake that took place roughly from 1990 to 2002.
UMD Homecoming 1958 and 1959.
Lake Superior Brewing Company.
Another Portorama.
Proctor Hoghead 2015.
Duluth Girls State Softball Tournament, 1976.
Beargrease 2015.
World Curling Championship of 1976. Note the globe/bridge art at the top.
KUMD.
Branders Music Shop.
This appears to be some sort of Duluth name-tag button. I don’ t know who Signy Seeling was, but the Internet indicates she was born on Jan 24, 1909, and died in May of 1982.
Fowler-Veranth Construction Company.
From Judy Kurki-Coleman:
I think the Hacienda employees went on strike in the 1980s. Not sure of the details though.
Curling club pin.
I think this one is connected to a local Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF project in the mid 1980s.
This one is from the old Gas and Water building on Garfield Ave. They had a sale before they tore it down about 10 years ago or more.
Centennial Brothers of the Brush!
More centennial weirdness.
UMD Homecoming 1960 and Sno Week 1961.
Yeah, yeah. Join the club, buddy.
I’ve been doing a lot of personal archeology lately. Under some old bones and dirty laundry, I found some relics …
This was covering old bones.
This is just wrong.
Local burlesque action.
A bunch of finds from an estate sale in Piedmont Heights.
First addendum to the previous comment:
The button for class officers refers to Brian Alementi and Doug Bragg, Denfeld class of 1991. Classmate Chris Raimo has the above version on a bulletin board in his office.
Second addendum:
I forgot to include this totally awesome 1990 Spirit Valley Days button.
Third addendum:
I’m not sure if the bottom one is specific to the Duluth Zoo (Lake Superior Zoo) but it was in the pile with the other two.
For those in the mood for a little winter frolic.
Or for those ready for the Island Lake Ice Fishing Contest.
Four more winter-related gems.
Duluth Hockey Day, year unknown.
Lester Peterson Roofing & Sheet Metal (referenced in the “Will Duluth see more mansions on the hill?” post.)
Saints Roller Skating Center!
More Fall Fest!
Duluth Imperial Flour!
Diamond Tool!
Bats for the batty!
Safety first at Clyde Iron Works!
Duluth Outboard Regatta, 1937!
From the estate of Beverly Goldfine.
Three more for Bulldogs fans.
Soap Box Derby Booster!
Central Trojans!
Ordean. No exclamation point.
Centennial Belles!