Q: I am looking for information on the history of Disney sewing buttons and rivets. For example, when were the first Disney buttons/rivets made? Where were they made? What characters were on them? Were the buttons sold in sets? And what material were they made of, etc.?
Terri, West Branch, Michigan
A: The earliest known Disney licensee making buttons was the Leo F. Phillips Co., Inc., of New York. They were licensed in 1937 to produce “novelty dress buttons made of catalin and/or other plastic materials.” Their license was canceled in 1939. We have one card of three Mickey Mouse buttons in the Walt Disney Archives.
Dave Smith