Plexi glass / Lucite buttons - Glass imitation from early 20th century

There were a lot of kinds of early plastics, as experiments with synthetic materials continued. Plexi glass was an attempt to imitate glass, both transparent and opaque.

Plexiglass

When I first came across these buttons, I wasn't sure what they were. they sounded like celluloid, but are far more durable, less brittle and generally seem something better than just celluloid. I was lucky, because soon I got my hands on a button card, which explicitly said PLEXIGLASS.

How to identify plexiglass

This kind of plastic is very similar in apprearance to celluloid, but also to glass. It is a bit heavier, more solid than celluloid, although the pieces make the same sound against one another.
As compared to glass, they are obviously lighter. The seams are obvious and not finished the same way as glass buttons. You can generally find larger buttons made of plexiglass, but ot too large glass buttons, as heavy buttons are very uncomfortable to wear. Plexiglass can be carved, unlike glass.

These clear lucite buttons show a variety of styles and techniques. Some of them are carved, most ale molded, there are even a few shanks. Some have a very simple design.

Clear lucite buttons are common, usually with carved details on the wrong side, but also on the top. They are transparent not to draw attention from the fabric pattern they are sewn to. These were very popular on blouses in 1930s, as most of my plexiglass buttons come from those times.

Clear buttons are usually presented onn a dark colour card, so that all the details are more apparent.

It is important to remember that when Plexiglass buttons were introduced, machine washing was not common. They were not designed to resist it and so, they may be damaged, especially if washed in high temperatures. Some of the flat buttons above are also very thin, which makes them easily breakable. I recommend washing by hand or removing the buttons before the wash if you insist on machinewashing. Clear buttons are especially fragile, as they may be scratched and will not look the same afterwards.
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