NEW BUTTONS: 1930s
CORK
The Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW), 8th November 1934 page 3.Whilst Goodyear rubber and gutta percha buttons were made in the second half of the 19th century, in the 20th century ‘rubber’ buttons were composition (i.e. mixtures of natural and/or synthetic materials).
Cork buttons are made both from cutting out shapes from sheets of cork, and from ground cork. Cork buttons were sometimes trimmed with plastic or metal.
Leader (Orange, NSW), 5th November 1924 page 4.
They were not mentioned in the Australian press until 1924, but became fashionable in the 1930s, particularly in 1935. Recycling bottle cork into buttons was encouraaged as a home craft.
The Newcastle Sun (NSW), 30th May 1935 page 3.
The telegraph (Brisbane), 23rd April 1935 page 14.
The Evening News (Rockhampton, Qld), 6th Feb 1937 page 10.
The Age (Melbourne), 3rd August 1949. A beige linen suit with cork buttons.
Weekly Times (Melbourne), 8th March 1950 page 39. Knitted cardigan with cork buttons.
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