Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1970

Date Range To

1990

Materials

PAPER, PLASTIC, TIN

No. Pieces

54

Height

3.0

Length

16.2

Width

12.1

Description

1. COVER - RECTANGULAR, CARDBOARD; LIKE A BOX, BUT HAS NO ENDS. PICTURED ON COVER IS A WOMAN'S HAND HOLDING A BUTTON ATTACHER OVER A BLUE PIECE OF FABRIC. TOP OF COVER READS "BUTTONEER THE 5-SECOND BUTTON ATT[ACHER]". SIDES OF COVER HAVE A WHITE RECTANGLE, WITHIN WHICH READS "AS SEEN ON T.V.!". BACK OF COVER HAS INSTRUCTIONS AND USES FOR BUTTON ATTACHER. 2. INSTRUCTIONS - A THREE-FOLD BROCHURE. CONTAINING INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING BUTTON ATTACHER, TIPS, AND OTHER USES. FRONT PAGE READS "ENJOY YOUR BUTTONEER" "DISTRIBUTED EXCLUSIVELY BY RONCO.". 3. ENVELOPE - WHITE, PAPER ENVELOPE. HAS INSTRUCTIONS FOR ORDERING, AND AB UTTONEER REFILL ORDER FORM ON BACK. FRONT OF ENVELOPE HAS PREPAID POSTAGE AND ADDRESSED TO "RONCO TELEPRODUCTS, INC. 919 NORTH MICHIGAN AVENUE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60611". 4. RECEIPT - PLAIN, WHITE, WITH PURPLE PRINT. READS "08-24-99" HAS FIVE PRICES, PRECEDED BY STARS. AT BOTTOM IT READS "1 CL - 585.4 12-46". 5. CASE - RECTANGULAR, PLASTIC. LID OF CASE IS CLEAR, AND HAS A FROSTED RECTANGLE ON IT. EMBOSSED WITHIN RECTANGLE IS "BUTTONEER BY DENNISON". BOTTOM OF CASE IS BLUE. LID SNAPS INTO BOTTOM OF CASE. INSIDE CASE IS A LIGHT BLUE, PLASTIC PIECE. THIS HAS FIVE DIFFERENT INDENTS, THAT ACT AS COMPARTMENTS. 6. BUTTONEER - BLUE AND SILVER PLASTIC. CONSISTS OF A SIMPLE HANDLE, WITH A NEEDLE-LIKE DEVICE ON ONE END. HALF OF HANDLE IS SILVER; THIS PIECE IS ON A SPRING AND CAN BE PUSHED DOWN. THERE IS A WHITE PLASTIC WHEEL NEAR NEEDLE END. THERE IS A LIGHT BLUE, PLASTIC CAP OVER NEEDLE. A LABEL ON SILVER PART OF HANDLE READS "BUTTONEER BY DENNISON U.S. PAT. 3470834 PAT. CANADA, 1970 AND OTHER FOREIGN PATENTS". 7. VARIOUS FASTENERS AND BUTTONS - COMPARTMENTS INSIDE CASE CONTAIN VARIOUS SHAPES, SIZES, AND COLOURS OF PLASTIC FASTENERS. THERE ARE ALSO THREE, ROUND WHITE BUTTONS. THERE IS ALSO A SILVER, SORT OF KEY SHAPED PIECE. IT IS ETCHED WITH "BUTTONEER HOLE SIZER".

Subjects

TEXTILEWORKING T&E

Historical Association

DOMESTIC

History

MUSEUM OBTAINED ITEMS FROM LETHBRIDGE EATON'S STORE IN 1999. DUE TO COMPANY BANKRUPTCY, EATON'S STORES ACROSS CANADA WERE CLOSED, INCLUDING THE LETHBRIDGE LOCATION IN PARK PLACE MALL. *UPDATE* IN 2014 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING THOSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE T. EATON COMPANY STORES IN LETHBRIDGE. THE FOLLOWING BRIEF HISTORY OF LETHBRIDGE'S EATON'S STORE WAS DEVELOPED WITH INFORMATION FROM GALT ARCHIVES AND LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLES FROM THE FALL OF 1988. THE T. EATON COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN TORONTO IN 1869 BY TIMOTHY EATON. THE FIRST LETHBRIDGE EATON'S 'TECO' STORE WAS OPENED IN 1927 IN THE BASEMENT OF THE DOMINION BLOCK ON THE CORNER OF 4 AVENUE AND SIXTH STREET SOUTH. AFTER A FIRE, THE BUILDING WAS RENOVATED AND COMPLETELY TAKEN OVER BY THE EATON'S STORE, WHICH OPERATED IN THAT LOCATION UNDER PERIODIC RENOVATIONS FROM 1929 UNTIL THE OPENING OF THE PARK PLACE MALL IN 1988, IN WHICH EATON'S WAS AN ANCHOR RETAILER. IN 1989 A PORTION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE ART COLLECTION WAS TEMPORARILY PUT ON DISPLAY IN THE VACANT EATON'S BUILDING, AND PROPOSALS WERE MADE TO MAKE THE INSTALLATION PERMANENT, BUT EVENTUALLY THE PROPERTY WAS SOLD AND DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A BANK OF MONTREAL BRANCH. IN 1999 THE EATON'S STORE IN PARK PLACE MALL CLOSED JUST PRIOR TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BANKRUPTCY OF THE LARGER T. EATON COMPANY LIMITED. SEE PERMANENT FILE P19930072001 FOR HARDCOPIES OF SOURCE MATERIAL.

Catalogue Number

P19990061028

Acquisition Date

1999-10

Collection

Museum

Less detail