Prosser Buttons in North American Archaeology

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The XRF analysis of 100 “calico” buttons recovered from the steamship Arabia, which sank in the Missouri River in 1856, provides the foundation for research into Prosser manufacturing practices. The Prosser brothers patented their button manufacturing process in England in 1840 and in the United States in 1841. Innovations made by Felix Bapterosses in France accelerated production, and by 1850 these porcelain buttons were used in clothing across the North American continent. Widely found in historic archaeological contexts, researchers know little about different manufacturing origins, generally assuming French production. Elemental analysis using XRF may reveal distinctions between manufacturing locations and raw material sources, providing insight into button production and movement through commercial networks in the 19th century.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow