Great Grandma's Buttons Charmstring
Button collectors have been finding these long strings of buttons for more than 100 years, tucked away lovingly by family members, often never seeing the light of day again, or, sadly, being cut apart to harvest individual buttons. A long string of buttons like the one pictured here is called a "charmstring". There are even small glass buttons called "charmstring glass". Probably because so many of those types are found on the charmstrings crafted, typically in the late 1800's years. Often a young woman would start her charmstring with buttons given her one at a time from friends and loved ones. Each button having a special meaning to her. When she reached a certain set number of buttons, generally 500, lore has it she would then be married. Truth is, many women made charmstrings, from collectors to those wishing to save buttons from friends and loved ones in this fashion. A lovely lady from Farmington, New Hampshire, named Joyce Moody, decided to share her Great Grandmother's charmstring with someone who really loves buttons, that's me, Carol, this is my website. So Joyce and her relatives could "visit" Great Grandma's buttons, I've put them here on this page. Joyce's Great Grandmother apparently put this charmstring together in the 1800's and, luckily it's been kept very carefully and there are few losses. Most of the buttons are in excellent condition and all are of the appropriate period. As long as I am steward of this piece, this charmstring will never be cut up. There are 745 buttons and the string is about 6' long! Bless them for sharing this amazing charmstring of antique buttons so collectors can enjoy seeing this lovely piece of buttoning history. If you want to contact me just click here to e-mail: carolc@vintagebuttons.net |
Enamel Goodyear Hard Rubber |
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Goodyear marked hard rubber dimi size rose. | ||
Tin type photo, glass border. |
NY Mail Steamship Co. uniform butotn |
Goodyear hard rubber dimi beetle |
Goodyear hard rubber ball & saucer |
"Charmstring" glass w/metal "bracelet" trim. |
Jeweled Calico (china calico set in metal) |
Victorian era Calcutta Police; Enamel. |