Dress Elevator Article 2

Page 2

All of the 17 corkscrew type button inventions generally fell into two categories. First were those that had pointed wire shanks like the Coston and Smith designs and were most suitable for attaching to the clothing without the need for buttonholes and eyelets. They could easily have been used as dress elevators or bachelor buttons without damaging the fabric. The second category involved those with flattened or blunted spiral wire shanks that would have required an eyelet or would have necessitated a hole be punched in the fabric. The Big Book of Buttons (1981, Page 631 - Item 6) points out that the blunt shank design “must surely have damaged the fabric if used regularly.”

Jane Ford Adams, in an article in Spinning Wheel, also identified differences between the pointed and blunt spiral screw designs. She concluded that the pointed shank types, like the Coston and Smith inventions, were designed for ladies use and were popular in the 1860s and 1870s. She also concluded that the blunt shank designs with heavier wire and no pins were generally called studs and used to decorate the fronts of stiff bosomed shirts. Such use is logical given the jewelry quality of many of these buttons as shown in the accompanying color images. They would have been much more prominent on the shirt and less prone to loss than if buried in the folds of ladies dresses. There are many examples of the blunt or flat spiral wire buttons sold as “Studs” in the late 19^th and early 20^th century mail order catalogs.

There is a third category of spiral shank devices that could be called “Foolers.” Antimacassar or tidy pins fit here. Antimacassar pins are often confused with dress elevators and were (still are) used to attach doilies or chair protectors to the backs of furniture. Their inexpensive construction and materials, such as steel wire shanks or modern plastic faces, usually give them away.

Another candidate fooler is the scarf pin like that invented by Albert Epple in 1892. This corkscrew device added a “rotatable” plate with a pin “adapted for ornamental wear upon scarfs or other apparel.” If and how many of these scarf pins were ever manufactured is not known. Finally, there were a few patents for spiral wire lapel buttons. While they are not discussed further here, some of the buttons in the accompanying images and patents may have been worn in the lapel, on scarves or veils, or for other applications.

While all but one of the inventors of these corkscrew type buttons intended them as clothing buttons or shirt bosom studs, it is no surprise that women might have used them for dress elevators or other purposes. Patents are generally awarded for innovative design features and not for a sole use. In other words, as long as you don’t duplicate an iPod, you can use it as a doorstop if you wish. Even if the inventors’ intentions were to reduce the toil of sewing, removal, and re-sewing buttons, it is reasonable that the ladies of the later 1800s found the simple spiral screw button like A.M. Smith’s elevators to be a compelling substitute for the complicated dress elevator designs of the period (think pulleys and lead weights).

So, if you think you may have a verifiable (in the eyes of inventor A. M. Smith) dress elevator button, check for the center pin inside the corkscrew shank. Now, everyone who found one raise your hand.

Notes:

(1) This article was originally published in the 2007 Fall Edition of the North Carolina State Button Society Bulletin. Their requirements for reprinting are (a) material is printed in its entirety; (b) credit is given to the NC State Button Society Bulletin; (c) material includes the author's by-line; and (d) a copy of the issue is sent to the North Carolina bulletin editor.

(2) The classification of the buttons shown in this article is somewhat problematic. The only example that unarguably fits in Division IV, Section 11-0 (Other specialties including skirt elevators) is the A. M Smith button. It was patented and sold as a dress elevator. All of the actual buttons shown in the images were likely invented and sold as shirt bosom studs, and fit in Section 10 (Studs) at least by their description of use. An argument for their use with cuffs, vests, ladies' shirtwaists, collars, or lapels would not change the Section 10 classification. There are a number of patents for spiral or helix shank cuff buttons that are not covered in this article because they were primarily suitable for use as cuff buttons or Links. The most interesting question about classification concerns those buttons invented and sold as bachelor buttons. The 1866 Howarth button shown on page 1 and discussed in the Godey's quote was most certainly intended for use on coats, pants, or other clothing in the manner of bachelor buttons. Its spiral wire shank does not automatically relegate it to Division IV. Further study may identify additional uses for the corkscrew design that might affect classification.

(3) All of the patent related images and information come from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. There are likely other patents on this topic that were not found due to the flawed subject matter assignments of patents in the U.S. Patent Office Classification System.

References:

Adams, Jane Ford. “Those Curious Buttons with Corkscrew Shanks.” Spinning Wheel: The National Magazine about Antiques. June 1971.

“Bad News for Unmarried Ladies,” Godey’s Lady’s Book. Jan. 1867. p.101.

Hughes, Elizabeth and Marion Lester. The Big Book of Buttons. Boyertown, PA: Boyertown Publishing Company, 1981.

Luscomb, Sally, “Dress Elevators—Toilette Buttons.” Just Buttons Sept. 1975: p. 326.

US Patent and Trademark Office, Patent Images. <http://www.uspto.gov/ >

1897 Sears, Roebuck & Co. Catalogue. Ed. Fred L. Israel. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1968. p. 425.

Acknowledgements:

Jeffrey I. Lee, an Ohio collector, for contributing many of the color images of buttons in this article from his collection

Shirley Clark, who kindly contributed the A.M. Smith 1866 Patent Dress Elevator button and Tidy Pins

Kevin Kinne for the image of the A.M. Smith Dress Elevator Box Insert

Pat Fields, Pat Koehler, and Lynn Kulikowski for various helpful inputs including the Godey’s and Just Buttons references

Click on any image to view larger or additional images or to view the patent details