Did you know your buttons could get infested? Or eaten?

Mice

Young Witness (NSW) 15th May 1917 page 1.

Button Borers

In 1934 articles started appearing that warned of boring beetles laying eggs in trouser buttons (made of Tagua nuts). The grubs would hatch, and by eating the inside of the buttons undermine their structure and cause them to collapse.

Chronicle, 17th October 1935 page 3.

I thought this was a bit of a beat up against imported buttons by local manufacturers, as  only a couple of articles were reprinted time and time again. Then there were a couple of replies, including from the expert quoted …

The Sydney Morning Herald, 14th October 1935 page 5.

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