Clam shell gatherers were the front line in the booming pearl button business in 1897. Congress that year approved a favorable tariff law, the Dingley Act, giving American manufacturers an advantage ...

MUSCATINE — Muscatine, a city of 23,888 on the banks of a mighty river in Eastern Iowa, has earned its nickname as the Pearl of the Mississippi. That's thanks to the hard work and entrepreneurship of ...

Mother-of-pearl buttons were once a staple of high-end tailored shirts, jackets and coats. But for such a ubiquitous fashion item, their origins are now rarely seen - and are becoming more unusual as ...

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The button has long been a favoured, decorative feature in fashion for both men and women, with the pearl button adding exclusivity and desirability to garments for both. John F. Boepple originally ...

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