Tailor’s Button

J. Bidencope Hobart Town

This trouser/pants/braces button shows just how a humble button, not intrinsically valuable,  can shed light on history and be a fascinating object non-the-less.

Hobart Town

The British, motivated by their usual paranoia about the French, set up the first European settlement on the eastern shore of the Derwent River in 1803. In 1804 the settlement was moved to the current site of Hobart, and a penal colony was established with the military, settlers and convicts from the failed and abandoned Port Phillip settlement (which had been set up near present day Sorrento). The town was originally known as Hobart Town, or Hobarton, after Lord Hobart, the then British Secretary of State for war and the colonies. it was not until early 1881 that it was renamed Hobart.

The Mercury (Hobart), 12th September 1903 page 1. Details from a longer article.

The Tasmanian (Launceston), 1st January 1881 page 14.

From the Australian Dictionary of Biography, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bidencope-joseph-12797,  it is claimed that Joseph Bidencope operated his own business from 1858 in Hobart Town. He advertised for the first time in September 1860, and by 1861 was describing himself as a naval and military tailor. He was also supplying government uniform contracts.

The Mercury (Hobart Town), 1st November 1861 page 3.

The Mercury (Hobart town), 5th December 1860 page 3.

In 1869 the firm moved to Murray Street and expanded into producing and selling hats, for which they became renown. In 1881, when Hobart town became Hobart, he was still trading as J. Bidencope.

University of Tasmania collections (Image Number oai:sparc.utas.edu.au:UTASSPARC_14118, AU TAS UTAS SPARC W9-Ph-133-6) of Murray Street, c.1880, showing Bidendorps store near the centre.

It was not until 1887 the firm was quoted as ‘Bidencope and Son’, then in 1891 as ‘Bidencope & Sons’ . From 1913 until 1920 the firm was referred to as either Bidencopes Ltd or Bidencope & Son Ltd, then Bidencope & Son Pty ltd from 1921 until around 1979. The family had sold the business in 1977.

The Mercury (Hobart), 26th November 1924 page 5. The updated store in 1926. Above the entrance is the claim “Est. 1858”.

Libraries of Tasmania (Image Number oai:oai.statelibrary.tas.gov.au:NS6404-1-11) a bus in front of the store in 1956-7.

In 1994 R. M. Williams was applying to have Centrepoint Fashions Group Pty Ltd (trading as Bidencopes) wound up. Whether this happen, I cannot tell, however, a firm by the name of Bidencopes Pty Ltd was registered in 2020.

For a detailed history of the birth of Tasmania, from a newspaper edition at the celebration of its centenary: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/855171

See http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/branded-buttons/branded-buttons-tailors-buttons-a-h/#B  for a button marked Bidencopes Ltd.

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New Finds

Realistic dog buttons.

These lovely plastic buttons with hand-painted detailing are found on Rex C. Norris ‘Jack and Jill’ cards. Some, presumably the earlier, ‘Jack and Jill’ cards are marked as produced soley by Rex C. Norris, which may date from 1940. In 1946 Mr Norris combined his two concerns, ‘Rex C Norris’ and ‘Norris Accessories’ into ‘Rex C. Norris Pty Ltd”. Blue versions of this button appear on a Pty Ltd version of the card. They were advertised only in 1953.  Therefore these dogs date from approximately 1946-1953.

Glass Kangaroo

I hazard that this button was produced in “Western Germany”  in the early 1950s, although it could have been produced in Czechoslavakia. Similar glass buttons with gold or silver painted highlights exist for kookaburras and koalas. I also have a black glass platypus without painted highlighting.

See http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/australian-button-history/australiana-fauna-and-flora-on-buttons-and-other-kitsch-kkks/  for more examples.

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New Finds

Circa 1960 Beutron

On the back of this card it states that Beutron factories existed in New Zealand, Hong Kong and Japan. As they opened a factory in South Africa in 1962-63, this card dates before then. I have not found any information about the Japan factory or factories. The card also stated that whilst the card was printed in Japan, the card itself, and the buttons, were produced in Australia.

Walkers Buckle

On the back of the packaging is a Myers price sticker for 55 cents. ‘Fashion Accessories’ was a registered brand of Walkers around 1983-5.

The Canberra Times, 26th January 1985 page 31.

Although the advert claims the firm had ‘been trading successfully for over 60 years’ they were actually selling themselves short. The earliest incarnation, ran by Ernest Richard Walker was described as a fancy goods manufacturer under the name ‘Ernie Walker’ in Sydney, from 1919 until 1923.

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Country Fire Brigades Board

Backmark: K C Luke Pty Ltd Melb. Date 1930-1944.

Established under the Fire Brigades Act of 1890 to have responsibility for all fire brigades greater than 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Melbourne whilst the Metropolitan Fire Board (MFB) took care of Melbourne and its near suburbs. The first meeting was held on 18th March 1881. It was largely responsible larger towns such as Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo which left rural services in the hands of local landowners with little assistance, training or equipment although 220 local units were formed by 1931, and by 1944, with the Forests Commission’s partial support, 768 Bush Fire Brigades.

The calamitous Black Friday bush fires in 1939 lead to a Royal Commission recommending the creation of a single fire service for country Victoria to improve the ineffective rural services. Possibly delayed by the War, the 1943/44 fires placed further pressure on parliament to finally implement this. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) was appointed on 19th December 1944.

Photos below: published in the Australasian (Melbourne), 20th March 1897 page 24, of Fire Brigades participating in an annual demonstration and parade.

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Semco

Smocking booklet

What gorgeous designs, but, oh! The work involved!

See also  http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/18th-january/

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Now for something different.

A school whistle

The stamped arrow indicates government property.

Ian’s grandfather was requested come out of retirement to teach, due to a shortage of teachers. Presumably many had enlisted. This was his whistle.

The Herald (Melbourne), 9th June 1944 page 7.

The Herald (Melbourne), 30th April 1945 page 6.

The Premier Wire Works Pty ltd was registered in 1926 as hardware merchants and engineers. They purchased the Premier Wire Works as an ongoing concern.

The Age (Melbourne), 23rd May 1933 page 10. From a Tariff Board inquiry into duties on kitchen hardware.

In 1938 they were in trouble for employing a 13 year old boy. During WW2 they manufactured munitions. Due to the government policy of decentralisation of industry, Premier Wire Works set up a factory in Maryborough and Dunolly.

Weekly Times (Melbourne), 26th January 1949 page 34.

Weekly Times (Melbourne), 1st August 1951 page 24.

The Argus (Melbourne), 6th July 1954 page 19.

The firm was still supplying government contracts in 1971.

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Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR)

Thanks to the Tasmanian transport Museum for confirmation of the uniform button designs.

George VI: 1936-1952

The button on the left would date from Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, and the other soon after, as this type of back plate with 2 vent holes was adopted in 1953 with the introduction of equipment to produce anodised aluminium buttons, although this doesn’t appear to be an aluminium example. It is likely that this design was also used for other government departments.

Rail services in Tasmania were initiated by private firms. The two main operators were the LWR and the TML.

In 1872 the Launceston and Western Railway (LWR) , which had officially commenced running trains between Launceston and Deloraine in 1871, was struggling to repay the credit that had been required for construction of the line. The Tasmanian Government had to step in and take over from 31st October 1873. This was the beginning of the Tasmanian Government Railways, although the title was not used until around 1883, and was formally established in 1888.

From 1872 to 1876  the Tasmanian Main Line (TML) Company started creating a line from Hobart to Launceston. Using the consistently flawed logic of rail services throughout the colonies, a different gauge line was used to that of the LWR!  In 1890 the Tasmanian Government bought the TML after years of strife between the government and the company. All the exiting railways were relaid to match the narrow (3ft 6 inch) gauge of the TML.

In 1975 the Federal Government made offers to all the struggling state run railways, with South Australia and Tasmania accepting the takeover by the new Australian National Railways, ending the TGR.

Examiner (Launceston), 1st October 1940 page 4.

As per Flickr: Tasmanian Government Railways staff, 1890s.

Sunday Times (Sydney), 27th October 1912 page 19.

The Suns News-Pictorial (Melbourne), 15th March 1923 page 10.

Benalla Standard (Vic), 1st December 1939 page 1. New diesel rail cars.

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New Finds

Around 1959-60 G. Herring changed the artwork of their Beutron buttons several times in quick succession, quite possibly due to the fact that General Plastics had copied the Beutron style of cards with added cotton. Although the judge disagreed with them, they felt the cards were too similar to their own registered design. The Opal-Glo card above was one of the new designs, with the cotton at the bottom instead of the top, although the overall shape was very similar,

The Maxart buttons are one of a series of (probably) polyester buttons with transfer designs from the mid 1970s, as shown below:

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A ‘Real’ Aussie Button

This approximately 15mm diametre covered button by Jan and Annette Pollard as part of their Jaemu fashion brand, is made of emu leather ‘grown’ in Wagga Wagga and tanned at Botany Bay. I cannot find any trace of this brand.

The West Australian (Perth), 3rd November 1933 page 11.

Emu were sometimes used to make cloaks worn by Koori peoples. The feathers were used for decorating hair, as well as for skirts made from plant fibres. They were worn as ornamental tufts on various parts of the body. A spear with a few emu feathers fixed could mark a grave.

Emu leather was not mentioned in newspapers until 1933-4, when various stores started selling handbags made from it. It can be a very fine and attractive product. Emu farming for leather was pioneered, unsuccessfully, in West Australia in 1970. Further attempts occurred, sometimes within Aboringinal communities, with the first export licence for emu products (mainly meat, oil and leather) granted in 1990. Larger numbers of emu were/are farmed in America, Canada, Europe, India, China and New Zealand than in Australia! Farming numbers have sharply declined as the cost of keeping them, the space they require, and processing issues, have proved  problematic.

Emu feathers, as opposed to leathers, had a longer history of use by non-Koori Australians. Explorer Major Mitchell and his men wore emu and cockatoo feathers in their caps in 1836. Emu feathers were amongst produce donated to the new Trade Museum in London in 1854. 

Sunday Mail (Brisbane), 25th February 1940 page 6.

According to the article titled ‘Horse Feathers” that ran with the above pictures, the use of emu feathers by cavalry in Australia started with the Queensland Mounted Infantry who were called out to assist the civil powers during the unrest of the shearers strike of 1891. The Gympie Squadron were the first to start wearing the feathers in their hats, from emus that had been ‘ridden down’ during times of boredom. The trim proved popular, prompting the head of the mounted forces to successfully request the plumes become part of the official uniform.

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld), 15th July 1891 page 6.

The feathers were worn during the Boer wars, both by the Queensland troops, but also reportedly by the New South Wales Lancers who travelled straight from Jubilee celebrations in London to South Africa and got there first. This is a little confusing, as the trim for the Lancers was traditionally black cocks’ feathers. Why did they have emu feathers this time? Is this in fact correct?

Goulburn Herald (NSW), 1st January 1904 page 2. From an article describing dress regulations for officers of the new Commonwealth Military Forces.

Post South Africa, the Queensland Light Horse retained the emu feathers as official uniform trim. They were also popular in West Australia, but less so in the Eastern states; this changed during  WW1. Much to the initial annoyance of Queensland units, the Minister for Defence ruled that the whole of the Australian Light Horse would wear the plumes. During that war the feathers were mistakenly called ‘kangaroo feathers’ by non-Australians. 

The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 6th January 1937 page 3.

In this 1940 article it stated that only cavalrymen were permitted to wear them, but they were not supplied and had to be privately purchased!

Air Force News, 9th October 2014 page 26.

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Pearl Buttons on Foil: part 2

What was the ” foil” that was used as a backing behind pearl buttons as described by Dickens in 1852? It may have been “silver paper”. Dating from the last decades of the 18th century, “silver paper” was actually a form of white tissue paper, initially used by jewellers to wrap items of gold and silver, and perhaps giving the paper its name. Coloured silver paper was developed during the reign of William IV, including actual silver. Plain silver paper was brushed with a starch paste then layered with thin silver leaf. For an interesting article on this, see  https://regencyredingote.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/before-silver-paper-was-silver/.

I found “gold and silver sheet paper” for sale in Sydney dated 1823, and an article describing the theft of jewellery from a store where it was stated that ” The jewellery are always covered with silver paper …”

The Tasmanian (Hobart Town), 4th November 1836 page 7. From a description of making plaster copies of medals or coins.

At some stage, the foil used would have changed to tin-foil, and later, aluminium foil. Aluminium foil was manufactured from 1910 but is still sometimes called tin foil, the product which it superseded. Tin-foil was referred to in newsprint  from the 1820s, although at this stage it was sometimes actually lead foil being referred to.

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 8th May 1928 page 7. If this article is accurate, the “invention” of tin foil in America described below  may refer to the innovation of industrial production.

The Daily News (Perth), 8th September 1906 page 18.

The Sydney Morning Herald, 22nd August 1940 page 20. Children were collecting used metal for the war efforts.

The Herald (Melbourne), 17th January 1950 page 12.

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