Historical information

These two buttons are tailors' buttons for clothing made in Warrnambool. The brown one is from the firm of Frederick Williamson who had a tailoring business at 157-159 Liebig Street, Warrnambool. His father Edward had started the tailoring business with a shop in Timor Street in the second half of the 19th century. Frederick Williamson was a Warrnambool City Councillor on three occasions (1924-1930; 1934-1939; 1942 -1945) and Mayor 1942-1943. The black button came from the Liebig Street, Warrnambool clothing and haberdashery store of Cramond and Dickson who employed tailors and dressmakers to make clothing to order. John Cramond and James Dickson opened their Warrnambool store in 1855 and it was a dominant business in Warrnambool for 119 years, closing in 1974. It was common practice in the first half of the 20th century for tailors and large clothing stores to have their own buttons for their suits etc.

Significance

These two buttons are of some interest as examples of buttons made specifically for two local Warrnambool businesses.

Physical description

.1 Round button, light-brown in colour with four holes in the centre, a curved back and imprinted letters around the edge.
.2 Round black button with four holes in the centre, a curved back and imprinted letters around the edge.

Inscriptions & markings

.1 F. Williamson Warrnambool
2. Cramond & Dickson