Instructor: Lindsay Bloch, Tempered Archaeological Services, LLC

Most historic button guides emphasize ornate or specialty buttons, not the everyday buttons that most people wore.  Using a material and technological approach, in this workshop we will cover how to identify 18th-20th century buttons of metal, glass, porcelain, organic materials, and synthetics.  We will discuss chronological change in button manufacture and decorations, as well as gendered aspects of button use.  Through lecture and hands-on practice, participants will learn to identify button composition, date, and use context.