Duluth MN Button Collection: Novelty Pins of the Zenith City

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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.

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History Collections and Memorabilia

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.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago



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 11 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 11 years ago

Geek Prom! French Larry!

Paul Lundgren

about 11 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 ...

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago

Ripsaw! Transistor!

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

Chester Park Ski Club!

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

Duluth Arena, 1976!

leefr

about 10 years ago

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

Duluth Junior Police button. Hayfever Club of America.

 

Another Patrick Product.

leefr

about 10 years ago

Three buttons from the 300-year celebration.

spy1

about 10 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 10 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

Honor Brand!

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

MacArthur Elementary School!

emmadogs

about 10 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 10 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 9 years ago

I recently unearthed this one from my sock drawer.

Barrett Chase

about 9 years ago

This one came from the 2014 UMD Homecoming Parade.

Barrett Chase

about 9 years ago

Here's an alternate Fred Tyson.

Barrett Chase

about 9 years ago

A little self-promotion here.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

Three Denfeld buttons:

 



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:

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

A few from Carlton County:

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

Fire!

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

From a rummage sale this weekend, Beargrease!

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.

Paul Lundgren

about 9 years ago

UMD Homecoming 1958 and 1959.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Lake Superior Brewing Company.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Another Portorama.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Proctor Hoghead 2015.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Duluth Girls State Softball Tournament, 1976.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Beargrease 2015.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

KUMD.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Branders Music Shop.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 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.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Fowler-Veranth Construction Company.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

From Judy Kurki-Coleman:

andym

about 8 years ago

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

andym

about 8 years ago

Curling club pin.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

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

andym

about 8 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 8 years ago

Centennial Brothers of the Brush!

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

More centennial weirdness.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

UMD Homecoming 1960 and Sno Week 1961.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Yeah, yeah. Join the club, buddy.

Chris

about 8 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 8 years ago

This was covering old bones.

Chris

about 8 years ago

This is just wrong.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Local burlesque action.

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

First addendum to the previous comment: 

 

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:



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

Paul Lundgren

about 8 years ago

Third addendum:

 



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 7 years ago

For those in the mood for a little winter frolic.

Paul Lundgren

about 7 years ago

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

Paul Lundgren

about 7 years ago



Four more winter-related gems.

Paul Lundgren

about 7 years ago



Duluth Hockey Day, year unknown.

Paul Lundgren

about 7 years ago



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 4 years ago

 

 

From the estate of Beverly Goldfine.

Paul Lundgren

about 4 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 2 years ago

 

 

 



Ordean. No exclamation point.

Paul Lundgren

about 11 months ago



Centennial Belles!

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