Pining For Change: The 1913 Armory Show Button
“We have adopted an emblem—taken from the old pine tree flag of the revolution. I got the idea one morning in bed. Arthur B. Davies made the drawing and we’ll have it on stationery, catalogue, posters, and everywhere. We are also going to have campaign buttons—here is the design—it will be about this size and very neat we are going to get them by the thousands give them to anybody from bums to bartenders—conductors etc. ought to make an immediate hit and get everybody asking questions. This button business is a secret, and will have to be pulled off on the quiet, as some of the fellows might kick after they are out it’s no use to kick” —Walter Kuhn, 1912
Button, 1913, from the Walt Kuhn papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Check out their 1913 Armory Show digital exhibition here.
Second button from the Montclair Art Museum's current exhibition. Read about Artsy staffer Stasya's visit here.