Once upon a time, the buttons used on infants and children’s clothing were the same as for adults; except perhaps ‘daintier’. When realistic buttons became all the rage from around 1937, they were actually fashion for adults, although they soon appeared on children’s clothing. In Australian newspapers, buttons described as ‘for children’ were first advertised in 1944.
In the 1950s several Australian manufacturers produced buttons marketed as children’s and babies’ buttons. Beauclaire had ‘Tiny Tots’, Woolworths had ‘Kiddietone’, Beutron had a series of 6 collectable cards, and also marketed babies’ buttons in their ‘Tecpearl’ range. Rex C. Norris had ‘Jack and Jill’ buttons.
Beutrons children’s range
Thanks so much to Marian Clark (a.k.a ‘the Crazyhaberdasher’ ) She has kindly shared photographs from her own collection of Beutrons children’s range:
The button cards were designed to be collectable; you could send away for booklet.
Pat’s collection
Beutron Baby Buttons
The card on the left has real MOP buttons, the rest are polyester.
From the back of the cards.
Beauclaire Tiny Tots
These were only advertised in 1954.
“Tiny Tots” designs were also sold on general GP cards.
Variations of the 4 animals mounted onto reproduction cards. These designs have appeared hand painted, pearlised and plain. They still re being sold today.
Kiddietone
This was a Woolworths branding.
These rabbits were also sold on Beauclaire branded cards.
Hand painted squirrels
and lambs.
Jack and Jill
This was a Rex C. Norris branding.
Examiner,16th Jan 1953 page 9.
The Age, 8th July 1953 page 21.
The koalas have been sewn onto a replica card.
The card is not labelled, but this is a Rex C. Norris button.
For examples of Excelsior Children’s buttons from Britain, see http://www.austbuttonhistory.com/29th-january-2022/