Fasteners: part 1
Snap Fasteners
The Colonial Maid dress fasteners date from 1920 and were made in Germany.
These are also known as press fasteners, press studs, poppers, dome fasteners or simply snaps. The first patent for a novelty fastener for trousers was registered in 1885 by the German inventor, Heribert Bauer, although they did not become a popular success until the Prym family bought and improved upon the original design in 1903, making them rust proof and more reliable. They became favoured for their ease of use, safety (for clothing and other applications where snagging could be dangerous) and neat finish. As most were manufactured in Germany, supply dried up during WW1.
The Bulletin, 10th November 1904 page 30.
Weekly Times (Melbourne) 14th December 1912 page 11. Very droll, to be sure, if untrue. They were invented as trouser fasteners.
Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld), 9th November 1915 page 5.
Echuca and Moama Advertiser and Farmers’ Gazette (Vic), 1st April 1916 page 2. Who knew fasteners could be so subversive?
Weekly Times (Melbourne), 5th January 1918 page 9. Although this article is no doubt meant to be playful; hasn’t the journalist heard of button hooks? After all, with many men serving abroad, surely ladies still had to be ‘self-reliant’?
The Telegraph (Brisbane), 13th August 1947 page 7.
British Snap fasteners were advertised from 1925-1947.
The Australian Women’s Weekly, 16th September 1953 page 35.
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