Get Hooked at The Lightbox
New Buttonhooks Exhibition

An incredible collection of buttonhooks of all shapes, sizes and themes will go on show; from tiny to large, steel to gold, plain to highly ornate and will be set in the context of fashion of the time with additional button boots, gloves and other related accessories on display. 

But what is a buttonhook? A buttonhook is a small steel rod with a hook at one end and a handle at the other - created to assist ladies and gentlemen to pull buttons through their stiff leather on boots and shoes or fasten buttons on clothing. Most date from the 1880s to the 1930s, but an early reference to this useful tool dates back to 1611. It was the Victorians and Edwardians however, with their fascination for inventions and design that gave the buttonhook a real place in history and made the little tools an essential item for any fashionable individual by tinkering with its basic design. Today, Buttonhooks are wonderful collectible items and are collected worldwide.  

The display is part of The Lightbox gallery and museum’s collector’s showcase programme, which to date has included rare pieces by celebrated Art Deco ceramicist, Clarice Cliff, Vintage Hoovers and Advertising Fans. Covering all aspects of collections, the Buttonhooks exhibition, which is the 30^th Annual Exhibition from The Buttonhook Society, will show themed cases - sport, music, nuts, horses, gloves and legs.  There will also be a case displaying Oriental buttonhooks and another with hooks from France.  One colourful case will be full of buttonhooks with enamel handles, another will show the use of tortoiseshell and further will display children’s button boots and shoes, with buttonhooks designed for the young.

Buttonhooks will be on display in the ground floor Lobby Gallery from 29^th May to 11^th July 2010. The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held in a hotel nearby on Saturday, 26th June, 2010.  Non-members are welcome to attend but should contact the Society beforehand via buttonhooksociety@tiscali.co.uk

NOTE TO EDITORS:

For further details about the Buttonhook Society please contact: UK and Europe: Angela Walmsley, BHS,  PO Box 1089, Maidstone,  ME14 8BA, Tel: 01622 752949. United States; Priscilla Stoffel, Box 287 White Marsh, MD 21162-0287, U.S.A. Tel: 410 256 5541. Email:  buttonhooksociety@tiscali.co.uk  website:  www.thebuttonhooksociety.com 

The Buttonhook Society has international membership.  It promotes research into the history and origins of buttonhooks and holds extensive archives with over 50,000 entries.  The outcome of research into any particular type of buttonhook is published in the Society’s Compendium which is available to members and learned organisations.  Books are also published which are available to members only and there is a bi-monthly newsletter. The annual subscription is currently £18.50 for UK members.