Page 4 - May1997

70 NATNONAN" BI-IIITON B UI,]"ETN},{ DECEMBER I996

The President's Message

Dear Friends,
I am so happy to tell you ofthe
generosity of John A. Mahey! He is
having his mother's buttons
(Bernyce H.) auctioned this June
Jane Leslie,
28th and 29th by Page Auctioneers
President
in Batavia, New York and the pro-
ceeds will go to NBS to continue
the award in her honor and the bal- 4
ance to the NBS Color Fund! (see ";_'.r. .*
story and ad for details.) I look for- :i
ward to being there so that I can Society's 55th Anniversary. Now if
personally thank him on behalf of I were only twins, I could cover
you all. more ground. I'd like to attend all
I was all set to go to the Buck- the state meetings but it just isn't
eye State's 50th Anniversary Show possible.
(and pretty excited about it, too) I hope you all have (or had)
until I realized it was the same lovely spring shows!
weekend my local club was hosting Regards,
the Massachusetts State Button Jane

Ttre tDor-er l3uttorr

The most perennially popular "Pretty Lady" on buttons was the Duchess
of Devonshire, an icon of beauty to button designers for over two
centuries. The cover button is a large metal in high relief with an
elaborate border. It is one that the editor had
never seen before. It was brought to Cedar
Rapids by Rita and Jim Stephenson of
England. On the last page of this
issue's color insert you will find the
beautiful duchess on many deluxe
buttons. Her fascinating life is briefly
highlighted by the many varied buttons
on which she appears.
-MWS