✅ SOLVED Solidite Parts Button by Butman & Wallace Boston

[Alan Payne]

I found this little gem a few months back. I couldn’t find any info about the MFG. I was wondering if someone could give me the lowdown on this item. It seems to be made from brass and I don’t think it is very old, but it is always nice to know what things are. Thank you for looking and helping. The Penney is cool too. It is from 199 and only has iberty on it.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[nhbenz]

These can date back to the 1850’s, but everything I see on these guys is that they were tailors in the 1880’s. They were in insolvency in 1889, so probably no newer than that.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

By the way, your button's front says (in raised lettering), "Solidite Paris" -- not Parts.

The fact that the raised lettering is a French word (and also says Paris), while the back which tells a company-name is written in indented lettering indicates the button was in actuality manufactured in France and imported to the US, where it was sold by the tailor-shop of Butman & Wallace. (It's easy to add a stamped-in name onto a metal object, but not easy at all to add raised lettering on a metal object AFTER the object has been manufactured.

The fact that the indented word Boston is indented in "plain block" lettering is a strong indication (but not fully 100% proof) that it was done in the 1880s time-period of the Butman & Wallace firm. Prior to about 1880, "most" stamped-in lettering on buttons was written in Serifed lettering. If you don't know what Serifed lettering is, look at "United States of America" on a US dollar bill.

 

[Alan Payne]

Thank you guys for the quick info. I didn’t think it might be that old. That site deserves a second passing.

 

[Alan Payne]

I looked at Button again and Solidite side is also depressed. Does this make any difference in the fact of it being a Button made in France?

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Alan Payne wrote:
> I looked at Button again and Solidite side is also depressed. Does this make any difference in the fact of it being a Button made in France?

Your new photo, showing the button MUCH more close-up than the previous photo of the Solidite side, gives a better view of the "top-hat" symbol (or whatever it is). Because during my 40+ years of closely examining dug-in-America button backmarks, I've never seen that symbol until now, in my opinion the use of that symbol means the button was indeed made in France.