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American Military Buttons by Bazelon
$74.99
American Military Buttons, An Interpretive Study • The Early Years 1785-1835 by Bruce S. Bazelon and William Leigh
Covers hundreds of American military buttons from the end of the Revolution to 1835.
- The Regular Army
- The Nautical Services
- The State Militias
- The Diplomatic Service
The authors made use of unpublished research notes, publications from 1911 to the present day, and new information contributed by collectors and “diggers.” This book offers a new understanding of American patriotic heraldry and the evolution of manufacturing processes and distinctive regional characteristics. The work examines federal regulations, button types, and the use of various symbols relating to each state and its militias. Nearly 2,000 photographs of these buttons, with most depicting both obverse and reverse, are shown in color in order to aid in identification and attribution. This useful guide provides a context through which to appreciate early 19th-century American military buttons as they reflect the growth and maturing of the American nation.
Details:
- Hardcover
- 8.5″ x 11″
- 224 pages
- 1,950 color photos
American Digger –
I’m reviewing the book for American Digger magazine. All I can say is, outstanding!
Paul Vasquez (verified owner) –
Ever since Warren Tice announced a series of three books on early American armed forces’ buttons beginning with his Uniform Buttons of the United States 1776-1865 in 1997, enthusiasts and scholars have been awaiting a detailed treatment of Federal Period buttons. Don Troiani eventually came up with the Revolutionary era book and even revised it in 2012, but no Federal period book arrived before that publisher closed. Finally in 2024 the void was filled and in full color for every button including for the first time in print extensive photos of backmarks. Of first importance is a button card dated 1817, and Spies’ card of 1826 which Bazelon had published in low res black & white format back in a magazine in the 1970’s but this presentation is far more useful. The Historical Society that owns that card doesn’t even have a digital image on their site with the most important information from that card. For Navy button fans, the 4 buttons of the 1820 order are accurately identified on that card and thus accurately published for the first time, since the illustrations accompanying Captain James Tily’s groundbreaking article of 1975 were inaccurate. Hard to argue with a contemporary card with actual examples attached. The main weakness of the book is the authors’ reluctance to catalog the buttons contained within it. How could Albert’s general treatment of 1976 possibly survive the corrections of a competent monograph? At least they use Albert & Tice codes to identify buttons unlike Troiani. If you have any interest in buttons of this period, you must get this book before it goes out of print, especially museums & historical societies.