Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

25 buttons on gold card on green card. Clothing buttons, or to be admired. Made by an individual named 'Heather' in Mt. Compass (South Australia), through 1996-1999.

Original Catalogue Entry: "En route to Victor Harbour we passed through Naracoorte S.A. where a lady in the Op Shop was sporting a lovely hand painted brooch. I asked her where she got it. She said her daughter had made it for her. I asked for her daughter’s details only to discover she lived where we were heading. Having made contact and eventually providing Heather with the sets of Mother of pearl buttons, she sent me a set each year in turn, of the flower, bird and animal emblems of each Australian State and Territory."

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

5 buttons on pink metallic card. Made from brass, depicting mostly fish. Used for lady's blouse or dress. Made in Friesland (Netherlands) between 1950-1960.

Original Catalogue Entry: "On a visit home Martha bought a set of buttons. Wearing them in Australia she lost one. Returning to Europe she returned to the jeweller for a replacement, only to discover the fish had changed direction! The next year she lost another and returning, on her annual visit, to replace it she discovered no more fish just plain hammered buttons! No matter she still bought one!"

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

2 buttons and 2 cards on grey card. Used for fancy dress, a gold and silver representation of skulls with red beads for eyes. Made by Robert Jan in 1999, location unknown.

Original Catalogue Entry: "I gave a talk at Hampton Community Centre, it was advertised in the local paper and Robert attended. He introduced himself afterwards and gave me the buttons!"

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

10 buttons on handmade paper on green card with dried flowers. Each button is a wooden representation of either logs or seed pods. Made by Dianne Thomas in South Australia, 1995.

Original Catalogue Entry: "En route to Adelaide I found a post card and a few buttons in the Op shop in Heywood, A rubber stamp of a phone number was just decipherable. I rang to order a set, Dianne said she no longer made them but had a few left somewhere. At a later date they arrived in the mail - Thank you Dianne!"

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

Contrary to title, there is only 4 loops on 1 circle of leather. Made of goat horn, usefulness as buttons questionable. Created by an individual only known as 'Percy' in South Australia, 1999.

Original Catalogue Entry: "The 2 ladies in the shop said they had no buttons then one remembered the ones that “Percy” had made so I bought them both but I’m not sure if it’s 2 circular leather buttons decorated with goats horn, or if it’s 7 goats horn buttons and if so how were they used?"

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

3 toggles on blue paper on red card. Representing two ships and a tusk, made from whale's teeth. Made by a Jesper Rasmussen of Albany (Western Australia) in 2001.

Original Catalogue Entry: "Seeing the lovely scrimshaw pieces for sale at the Information Centre in Albany, I enquired about the artist and was given a phone no. which I rang. Dorthe answered they weren’t far away “but don’t come for at least 20 mins” so she could square up! On arrival Jesper was gardening, not very interested in callers. “No” said Dorthe “no more buttons only these toggles” – his supply of whale’s teeth was gone and he was sick. Lovely other items there for sale. The next year I sent friends there to visit them, and was very sad to later learn Jesper had died not long after our visit, from a lung complaint, no doubt brought on by the dust from his scrimshandering."

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

2 buttons on white card. Made of glass, coloured in blue and yellow with a triangular shape. For use on cardigans and jackets. Made by Irene Zinsstag in Victoria, sometime in 1999.

Original Catalogue Entry: "I gave a talk at Hampton Community Centre, it was advertised in the local paper and Irene attended. She introduced herself afterwards and gave me the buttons."

sally hearn, button collections

Sally Hearn (1932–2018) was a dedicated button collector and a prominent member of the Victoria Button Collectors Club. Her button collection was featured as a primary display in the 'The Melbourne Story' exhibition at the Melbourne Museum, which opened in mid-2008.

The Hearn Collection of locally made and international buttons is historically and aesthetically significant as it illustrates the textile and manufacturing history of button making.

10 buttons on old paper on yellow card. Made from dried quandongs, presumably somewhere around the Mildura area. Unknown creator, circa 1930s.

Original Catalogue Entry: "I like to think they were made and mounted by a housewife to supplement the family income during the Depression. No doubt an educated lady – the calligraphy is delightful. The rayon or artificial silk thread – “poor man’s embroidery thread” has not lasted the distance and some have fallen off and been lost. Of course the delicious fruit surrounding the stones would have been made into jelly or jam – and maybe sold too for more income."

sally hearn, button collections