In 1992, the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection received the entire button collection of Ann W. Rudolph, a long-time "Friend" of the Collection. This remarkable bequest consists of numerous artifacts, representing every facet of the design, manufacture, use and display of these curious little fasteners. Known among button aficionados as one of the most complete holdings of button-related material in the United States, the Rudolph Collection includes not only buttons, but also an unusual set of dies used to manufacture buttons; equipment and artifacts related to button use; examples of buckles, belts and other modes of garment fasteners; and extensive library of reference books.

    Buttons have been attached to clothing for hundreds of years, both as items of utility and as objects of design and decoration. As a focus for academic study, buttons provide insight into the history of clothing styles and the changing fashions in art and design. Buttons reflect popular culture in their materials and decoration, and their history helps illustrate the history of industrial manufacturing, both in the United States and in other countries and cultures.