PART TWO - A NOTE on BUTTON MAKING

I digress here as something should be said about Atkinson being 'button manufacturers'.
That seemed odd to me - the connection between printing and - button making?
And what did that have to do with a young Scott Bonnar!

It all became clear when I learnt that these buttons were better described as 'button badges'.
Button badges were worn as a means of advertising awareness of certain causes and events. During
the First World War, these buttons were used to raise money for the war effort and were sold from
trays during meetings and gatherings, and at the local pubs and hotels.

Button badges were now an established means of getting a message across as well as fund-raising.
It was not only fashionable but patriotic to show on your lapel that you supported various military
units, hospitals, nurses or other noble causes.

History remembers Atkinson as one of the top button manufacturers of the period. Their buttons are
now highly collectible, and some fetch very high prices on auction sites. Here is a sampler of badges
produced by Atkinson when Scott Bonnar was at Bloor Court.

[Linked Image]
[Images: Australian War Memorial Collection]

Source: http://www.dandy.com.au/the-history-of-button-badges/

TO BE CONTINUED ...