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

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.

One button on grey card. Made of glass and brass, depicting a collection of colourful flowers. Made by a B. Stoner in 2000, location unknown.

Original caption: "Bought from Dot’s stall at the Needlework Tool Collectors Association Conference, Melbourne."

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.

Two buttons on brown card. Made from either the bone or horn of a merino ram, ivory coloured round buttons perhaps as an academic exercise. Created by Eldred Johnstone in Kyabram (Victoria), 2004.

Original Catalogue Entry: "Eldred collects shearer’s combs. I gave him 2 several years ago and told him he owed me 2 good buttons! Then he appeared on the doorstep several years later, out of the blue, with these 2 which he had so carefully made."

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.

8 buttons on blue paper on red card. Dark blue and brown in colour, made of glazed clay. Made by a 'Wally' c. 1930, somewhere around Maribyrnong (Victoria).

Original Catalogue Entry: "Margaret’s mother Ella Stone had a boarder named Wally. Wally was an alcoholic and a bit of a ‘no hoper’ but he worked at the Maribyrnong Pipe Works. One day after school Margaret told him to take off his trousers, he couldn’t continue to go around without any buttons and she would sew some on for him. A while later Wally came home with a paper bag for her. In it were these buttons he had made at work for her! – made from the clay and glazes of Melbourne’s sewerage pipes in exchange for some trouser fly 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.

Buttons on large brown card. Various different colours, materials, and designs. Each set of buttons is attached to it's own card.

Original Catalogue Entry: "The cards offer a variety of designs, and the countries of manufacture and the washing instructions are quite historical to us today."

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.

Animal buttons on cream card. Consist of cats and dogs in various colours, materials, shapes, and sizes.

No catalogue entry included.

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.

Animal buttons on white card. Includes birds, swans, chickens.

No catalogue entry included.

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.

Animal buttons on white card. Includes kookaburras, cockatoos, and penguins in various colours.

Official Catalogue Entry: "What fun they all are and what “attitude” some of the dogs and cats have!"

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.

12 buttons on dark blue card. Made to look like blue koalas.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Nancye gave me these saying she had used them on her daughter Louise Anne’s dress in 1956"

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.

21 buttons on dark green card. Depict different Australian animals with an impression made on the button, then painted. Two in the shapes of lorikeet, and another a map of Australia.

Official Catalogue Entry: "This collection of glass buttons depicts Australian fauna and a small map."

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.

Official Catalogue Entry: "The warranties printed on the cards e.g. “will not break in Mangling”. How many people know what a mangle is?"

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.

The item comprises of eight buttons, two of which are made from glass and are in the shape of flowers and six of which are made from vegetable ivory and were used for men's trousers. Manufacturers are unknown.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Margaret Glover wore the glass buttons on a pink woollen dress. Alan’s father, Arch Glover, was a Collin’s St. tailor making “Weary” Dunlop’s suits, etc., in partnership with Mr. Guest. When Mr. Guest died in 1951, Arch worked at home, having built up a healthy list of clients."

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.

The item comprises of 15 buttons and 6 switches of trim. The buttons vary in size, shape, colour and design, and include round fabric-covered, crocheted or lace covered examples, as well as plain and decorative buttons. The trim swatches consist of assorted lengths and samples of cream and white lace and embroidered textile trim, featuring a variety of openwork and decorative pattern. All buttons and trim are on green card. Manufacturer is Gwenda Booth of West Brunswick Aug. 2002.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Maude Victoria Lord, 1894 – 1994, worked as a blouse cutter for Charles Reid of Prahran, and for Buckley & Nunn, on quality silk blouses with lace inserts and pin-tucks. She married Lesley John Wilson at 24 yrs of age. Charles Reid gave his employees a gold sovereign for each year of service! Maude bought a piano with hers!"

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.

The item comprises of nine round horn buttons, each with four-holes in varying shades of brown and tan. The buttons are arranged in three rows of three and attached on a square commercial card on top of a blue card. The commercial card is printed with dark green ink with the words "PENNY CARD", "GAITER BUTTONS" and "BEST QUALITY", with decorative lines and markings. Manufacturer is unknown. Purchased by Brenda and Bob Johnson purchased in U.K. for Sally Hearn in October 1996 at Wanstead Park Church Fair.

Official Catalogue Entry: "How the silver fish or mites have nibbled the edges. Horn being protein, like tortoise shell, it attracts them"

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.

The item comprises of three round, dark grey brass buttons mounted in a row on a rectangular piece of card. Each button features a raised decorative design on the race and has a raised outer rim. The card contains handwritten annotations and has a rectangle paper label attached beneath the buttons. A small paper bag tied with red thread is attached to the lower button. Manufacturer is unknown. The owner's sister gave the buttons to Salley Hearn.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Doris Kohane nee Ash, 5/4/05 – 7/4/98, born in Newcastle, N.S.W., was a milliner for Normans of Collins St., Melbourne, 1949 – 1960. She went to Paris and was given these by Brendan with the accompanying note “Dori Cherie, Avec tous mes compliments. These little mens are said in Paris to be lucky, Love from Brendan “ Who was Brendan?"

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.

The item comprises of nine-cream coloured, flower shaped buttons mounted on a rectangular dark brown chestnut coloured card. Each button featurers raised floral designs comprising of six rounded petals surrounding a smaller central flower motif. The buttons are arranged in four pairs, with a single button positioned below. The buttons vary slightly in size and appearance. Manufacturer is Beust & Bills of South Melbourne.

Official Catalogue Entry: "The white deluxe 3 layered flower buttons were identified as from the first innerspring mattress c.1946 from Beust & Bills of South Melbourne. The others are typical of those used on kapok and horsehair filled mattresses of previous times."

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.

The item comprises of nine-cream coloured, flower shaped buttons mounted on a rectangular dark brown chestnut coloured card. Each button featurers raised floral designs comprising of six rounded petals surrounding a smaller central flower motif. The buttons are arranged in four pairs, with a single button positioned below. The buttons vary slightly in size and appearance. Manufacturer is Beust & Bills of South Melbourne.

Official Catalogue Entry: "The white deluxe 3 layered flower buttons were identified as from the first innerspring mattress c.1946 from Beust & Bills of South Melbourne. The others are typical of those used on kapok and horsehair filled mattresses of previous times."

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.

The item comprises of a collection of assorted buttons, buckles, and dress fasteners mounted on three rectangular cards in red, green and orange. The collection includes circular, square, rectangular, triangular and diamond shaped components in black, green, cream, and pink. Several pieces feature geometric designs, contrasting coloured insets and decorative surface patterns. The buckles vary in form and size and include rectangular, circular, and triangular examples with metal fastening components. The items are constructured from Bakelite and steel and are variously stamped, glued and carved.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Mona’s Swedish father came to Australia to introduce Electrolux. She was born in 1937 and the whole family emigrated, to save father commuting each year! Mother died. In 1946 George Jodell, her father, married Rosalind Hartung. She was an opera singer with the Gilbert and Sullivan Co. At age 31 she developed asthma so she could no longer sing. Her young brother worked in Flinders Lane and encouraged her. She had always made and designed her own gowns. She took a course in commercial cutting and became employed as a dress designer for Partington Modes, Flinders Lane."

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.

The item comprises of ten rectangular casein buttons mounted in a single row on a dark green card.

Official Catalogue Entry: Beryl was a tailoress and dressmaker 1927 – 1930 - C.H.V.Thomas, Collins S., Melbourne 1930 – 1932 - ? Bros, Flinders Lane In the Depression years she worked at Jim Wise, Thornbury, making school and college blazers."

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.

The item comprises of 40 assorted couture buttons mounted on a rectangular cream card.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Acquired over 20 years from numerous sources The Versace ones were given to me by Robert Smith after the closing down of Georges of Collins St."

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.

The item comprises of assorted buttons and button blanks in varying sizes, colours, designs displayed on a cream card.

Official Catalogue Entry: "The extruded format of the 4 white buttons. This is how they are made today."

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.

The item comprises of seven square plastic buttons with rounded corners on yellow card on a larger tangerine coloured card.

Official Catalogue Entry: "Mary worked at Tharrat’s Drapery Northcote1941 – 1971. She bought these buttons for her daughter Norma at Preston Market early 1930’s."

sally hearn, button collections