Event Calendar

Get a taste of Paris this summer without packing any bags. Button experts and collectors from around the US and Europe will descend on Appleton to immerse themselves in all things buttons. Yes, buttons. This year’s annual convention, La Joie des Boutons, put on by the National Button Society (NBS), will highlight the significant role Parisian button-makers played in elevating the button from craft to fine art in the 18th and 19th centuries. The public is invited and encouraged to attend to see the creatively assembled buttons honoring French buttons. Visit the showroom, where over 30 antique and vintage button dealers from all corners of the US as well as from England, France, and Italy will display thousands of buttons for sale in all price ranges. In addition, focused presentations will be offered each day for those who want to learn more about various button topics, including “Living in France…Hunting Buttons” with Loic Allio, the author of several books, Matthew Brown, and Nancy Fink. The public can
also get a taste of the annual button competition sponsored by the National Button Society by viewing the buttons submitted by NBS members for awards judged by button experts. There will be dozens of competition categories and hundreds of submissions for the competition. It will be an event not to be missed. The rich history and magnificence of buttons made in and about Paris are something to behold. Visitors just might find themselves exclaiming, “Ah, la vache!” before their visit is over. See event details @ nationalbuttonsociety.org