The Button shop was really inconspicuous and was difficult to find but my visit to Taylor's Buttons and Belts was definitely worth while. After going inside I couldn't quite believe just how many boxes of buttons this place had for such a small space. The place was literally crammed to the ceiling with boxes, some shelves buckling at the sheer weight of them.
I wondered just how many buttons there were, how many varieties and how they were cataloged. I spoke to the shop owner and she said that it was practically impossible as there were simply too many, claiming that there must be millions of buttons and thousands of varieties. I noticed that each box had a stitched button on the outside to indicate its contents as this must have been the only way. I noticed how some buttons were attached to separate pieces of card, laid out in an organized format depending on size and make.
The business was taken over by her late husband and she decided to continue with it, accumulating the collection over many years where the buttons, Most of which were hand made, were over a hundred years old. Even the boxes themselves were as old as the buttons, Some being the original packaging. The shop owner said that the collection was accumulated over many years of trade, often making buttons for theater groups and the Pearly kings and Queens.
