The invention of celluloid in 1869 made possible the development of the first pin-back buttons: thin sheets of celluloid were used to cover printed paper and give the effect of the traditional enamel badge at a significantly lower cost. The new process used less metal and avoided the need for soldering or screwing. The first pin-back buttons were 1 inch in diameter and quickly became a low-cost vehicle for personal and political expression and national pride. Since the early 20th century, pin-back buttons quickly evolved into universally accepted personal accessories, wearable signs of identity that allowed individuals to display their cultural or political preferences in public in a non-confrontational way. In the United States, the pin-back political button, as we know it, first appeared in the 1896 presidential race, between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan. Since then, buttons have been present in every political campaign. They have been embraced by icon artists - John Lennon’s peace buttons- and full social subgroups -the punks in the mid seventies. There is something reassuring about having to display a message in such a small surface, having to wear it as an addition to one’s clothing. Wearable content is steadily implanted in our society and has been a mass consumer trend for decades. Buttons are an interesting hybrid half way between content and accessory. That’s why 150 years after they were first developed they are still around filling a void that high technology is unable to fill.
