Page 31 - May2008

84 THE NATIONAL 13U'T'TOVl BULLETIN May 2008

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Tiny Treasures of
Gorgeous Glass by Pat Fields

What are swirl backs, anyway?
Swirlbacks are a subclass of glass Back types. The current NBS Classification
definition states that swirlbacks are "recognized by the cord-like winding off of
the glass around a metal shank. Any portion of a swirl is acceptable.-Although
most have a wire shank, a plate and loop are acceptable if a swirl is evident."
So, a swirlback button has swirling lines or ridges on the back of the button that
originate at the shank.
How can you be sure you have a swirl back?
It can be tricky. Some glass buttons show a single raised circle or ripples (con-
centric rings circling the shank), like a pebble thrown into a pond; they are not
swirlbacks. Intermixed glass can have swirls of color, but the swirls will be flush
with the surface; they also are not swirlbacks.
What distinguishes a swirl back from other glass buttons is the characteristic
spiraling of glass outward from the shank. It may have only a portion of a swirl or
as many as eight or more complete swirls all but covering the back of the button.
You should be able to start at the shank and follow a winding trail all the way out
to the end of the swirl.

When and how were they made?
Swirlbacks are in the charmstring family of buttons that enjoyed their heyday
of fashion popularity during the 1860s and 1870s when young ladies collected
small buttons from friends and threaded the buttons onto "charmstrings" hoping
to accumulate 1000 and thereafter meet the man of their dreams. (There are
many versions of this story.)
Like all charmstring glass, swirlbacks vary widely in design and techniques.
Some were likely manufactured as early as the 1840s and as late as the close of
the Victorian era. In fact, they've continued to be made in limited numbers until
today. Surprised? Commercially produced swirlbacks were still being made in
the 1960s and possibly even later. Today there are still a few button artists who
produce buttons that show evidence of swirls.