Duluth Button Collection

Paul Lundgren Jul 01, 2012 90 Comments

If you have a button to add, upload it to the comments. It’s one of the nice things about the Internet — we can all have a button collection without having to have a button collection.

bunch-of-duluth-buttons

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90 Comments

adam

about 12 years ago 

"We're Duluth and proud of it" is begging to be put on a T-shirt. Do any vendors or presses have such a product?

"Shut up and take my money."

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

Well, there was this one.

Starfire

about 12 years ago

banjo tom

about 12 years ago 

Free Democracy Summit, 2006.

Duluth Button - Free Democracy Summit

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

duluth-button-freddie-tyson

Fred Tyson!

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

I want to know what patriotic event happened in Duluth from April 2-8 in 1984.

EDIT: And with about 30 seconds on Google, I found out it was the Air Canada Silver Broom world men's curling championship.

Slim Jimmy M

about 12 years ago 



The Shoppers' City button, from the post "Zayre's Shoppers' City Discount Department Store in West Duluth."

Izzy Absinthe

about 12 years ago

Ted Heinonen

about 12 years ago 

Here are a few I've had in my odds and ends box. The top two are from the Duluth Fall Fest and the bottom one has a 1920 penny embedded in it (might be for a loan company that was located in the old Lyceum Theatre).

moosetracks

about 12 years ago 

I feel as though this button is especially ironic now.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

Here are two Albert Woolson buttons from the collection at Veterans' Memorial Hall at the Depot.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

College of St. Scholastica centennial button:

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

I don't remember when they stopped making buttons for Spirit Valley Days, but by 1994 they were getting lazy with the graphic design.

 

They still had a flare for the fancy in 1991.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

Geek Prom! French Larry!

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

I'm fairly confident these are the two finest Duluth buttons ever.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 



This is not a button, but since there are Portorama buttons above, I thought I'd post the first-place plaque from the 1968 Portorama polo competition. Available for $1.50 (half price) at the estate sale on Jean Duluth Road.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

For hockey fans ...

  

 

umd-buttons

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Ripsaw! Transistor!

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Chester Park Ski Club!

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Duluth Arena, 1976!

leefr

about 11 years ago 

I'd like to add a few buttons to the collection. 

Duluth Junior Police button. Hayfever Club of America.

Hayfever Club of America - Duluth Duluth Junior Police Badge

Another Patrick Product.

Another Patrick Product Duluth

leefr

about 11 years ago 

Three buttons from the 300-year celebration.

Brothers of the Brush

spy1

about 11 years ago 

I have to say I was puzzled by these buttons until I looked it up. Tradition, esp. in the 1970s, was that men grew beards during celebratory founding years. You bought a button to say you were growing one (Brothers of the Brush) or had to have a pin saying you had a pass (shaver's permit). And I guess just a button to not leave the ladies out of the fun. Four decades of living and I'd never heard of these before.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Charlie Bell for Mayor (R.I.P.)

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

In recognition of the bonding bill, "Save the Wade" circa the late 1980s and "Restore NorShor" from 2013.

 duluth-button-restore-norshor-theatre

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Honor Brand!

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

MacArthur Elementary School!

emmadogs

about 11 years ago 

Where did you find that Honor Brand button??? In fact, where do you find all of the obscure buttons?  I see nothing on eBay ... the closest I can come to anything is an old Duluth bumper sticker in screaming orange-and-yellow, stuck to the wall in my garage.

Well, and this.

Certainly not as cool as the buttons.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Most of them come from my attic or my parents' basement, but the Honor Brand one came from hakes.com.

moosetracks

about 10 years ago 

I go to antique stores and collect buttons. Some booths across town have good ones.

Barrett Chase

about 10 years ago 

I recently unearthed this one from my sock drawer.

Barrett Chase

about 10 years ago 

This one came from the 2014 UMD Homecoming Parade.

Barrett Chase

about 10 years ago 

Here's an alternate Fred Tyson.

Barrett Chase

about 10 years ago 

A little self-promotion here.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Three Denfeld buttons:

Duluth Button Denfeld Band Booster Duluth Button Denfeld Booster

Duluth Button Denfeld Hardees

After exhaustive research (asking my brother) I was able to make sense of the last one. It features Gilbert Giddyup and Speedy McGreedy, characters in Hardee's restaurant promotions in the 1970s.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Here are five from the display case at On the Limit:

Duluth Button Spirit Mountain Duluth Button - Folk Festival 

Duluth Button Far West Fest 2011 Duluth Button Fond du Lac Chambers Grove 

Duluth Buttons Daredevils Robotics

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

I have no idea what the deal was with the Midsommar Fest.

Duluth Button - Midsommar Festival

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

A few from Carlton County:

Carlton Days 1974 Carlton Daze

Carlton County Fair Blacksmith Shop 1992 Carlton Centennial Days 1981

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Another for the local music collection: Tim Kaiser - "Invisible Planets."

Tim Kaiser - Inferior Planets

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

And now, the 40-year reunion of the reunion button:

Raleigh Street Reunion

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Fire!

Duluth Fire Button

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

From a rummage sale this weekend, Beargrease!

Duluth Button - Beargrease 1989 Duluth Button Beargrease 1990 

Duluth Button Beargrease Sled Dog Duluth Button Beargrease 1992

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

... and also an Empire 130 Sled Dog Race button.  There isn't much info on the web about it, but apparently the Empire 130 was an annual race from Solon Springs to Amnicon Lake that took place roughly from 1990 to 2002.

Empire 130 Sled Dog Race Button

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

UMD Homecoming 1958 and 1959.

UMD Homecoming 1958 UMD Homecoming Bomb St. Johns

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Lake Superior Brewing Company.

Lake Superior Brewing Company

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Another Portorama.

Duluth Seaway Viking Portorama

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Proctor Hoghead 2015.

Proctor Hoghead 2015

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Duluth Girls State Softball Tournament, 1976.

Duluth Girls State Softball Tournamnet 1976

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Beargrease 2015.

Beargrease 2015 Pin

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

World Curling Championship of 1976. Note the globe/bridge art at the top.

1976 World Curling Championship Duluth

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

KUMD.

KUMD Listen Local

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Branders Music Shop.

Branders Music Shop

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

This appears to be some sort of Duluth name-tag button. I don' t know who Signy Seeling was, but the Internet indicates she was born on Jan 24, 1909, and died in May of 1982.

Signy Seelig Duluth button

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Fowler-Veranth Construction Company.

Fowler - Veranth Construction Company

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

From Judy Kurki-Coleman:

Duluth Ski Jumping Championships 1980

andym

about 9 years ago 

I think the Hacienda employees went on strike in the 1980s. Not sure of the details though.

andym

about 9 years ago 

Curling club pin.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

I think this one is connected to a local Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF project in the mid 1980s. 

From Duluth with love

andym

about 9 years ago 

This one is from the old Gas and Water building on Garfield Ave.  They had a sale before they tore it down about 10 years ago or more.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Centennial Brothers of the Brush!

Duluth-Button-Junior-Grade-Shavers-Permit-Centennial duluth-button-centennial-brothers-of-the-brush

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

More centennial weirdness.

Duluth Button - Longest Employed Duluthians

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

UMD Homecoming 1960 and Sno Week 1961.

UMD Homecoming 1960 UMD Sno Week 1961

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago 

Yeah, yeah. Join the club, buddy.

Bigger Than Weather Club

Chris

about 9 years ago 

I've been doing a lot of personal archeology lately. Under some old bones and dirty laundry, I found some relics ...

Chris

about 9 years ago 

This was covering old bones.

Chris

about 9 years ago 

This is just wrong.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

Local burlesque action.

Duluth Dolls Button

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

A bunch of finds from an estate sale in Piedmont Heights.

duluth-hartley-celebration-days y-superstar

seat-belts-save-lives duluth-east-danceline-1988

duluth-heights-community-winter-frolic-blue duluth-heights-community-winter-frolic-red

im-a-st-lukes-skywalker st-marys-medical-center-team-works

old-fire-house-muster-superior lincoln-choir-82-83 

lincoln-park-elementary-ptsa-thanks just-say-no-lincoln-park

spirit-valley-days-festival-1987 spirit-valley-days-1988-952

duluth-head-start-25-years macarthur-west-kids

umd-bulldog-pride-button eagle-pride-washington-jr

abc-denfeld proctor-mn-hoghead-festival-1989

hermantown-hawks-button beacon-inn-button

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

First addendum to the previous comment: 

alementi-bragg-button 

The button for class officers refers to Brian Alementi and Doug Bragg, Denfeld class of 1991. Classmate Chris Raimo has the above version on a bulletin board in his office.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

Second addendum:

spirit-valley-days-1990-back-to-the-future

I forgot to include this totally awesome 1990 Spirit Valley Days button.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

Third addendum:

hang-out-at-duluth-zoo-green hang-out-at-duluth-zoo-yellow

the-zoo-crew

I'm not sure if the bottom one is specific to the Duluth Zoo (Lake Superior Zoo) but it was in the pile with the other two.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

For those in the mood for a little winter frolic.

duluth-button-winter-frolic-1927 winter-frolic-1954

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

Or for those ready for the Island Lake Ice Fishing Contest.

island-lake-ice-fishing-buttons

island-lake-sportsmen-1969-ice-fishing island-lake-ice-fishingcontest-1972

island-lake-northern-sportsmen-1973 island-lake-ice-fishing-contest-1974

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

four-duluth-winter-buttons

Four more winter-related gems.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

duluth-hockey-day-nov-14

Duluth Hockey Day, year unknown.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago 

Lester Peterson Co Duluth

Lester Peterson Roofing & Sheet Metal (referenced in the "Will Duluth see more mansions on the hill?" post.)

Paul Lundgren

about 7 years ago 



Saints Roller Skating Center!

Paul Lundgren

about 6 years ago 

  



More Fall Fest!

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 



Duluth Imperial Flour!

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 



Diamond Tool!

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 



Bats for the batty!

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 



Safety first at Clyde Iron Works!

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 



Duluth Outboard Regatta, 1937!

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 

 

 

From the estate of Beverly Goldfine.

Paul Lundgren

about 5 years ago 

 



Three more for Bulldogs fans.

Paul Lundgren

about 4 years ago 



Soap Box Derby Booster!

Paul Lundgren

about 4 years ago 

 

 

 

Central Trojans!

Paul Lundgren

about 3 years ago 

 

 

 



Ordean. No exclamation point.

Paul Lundgren

about 1 year ago 



Centennial Belles!

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