Uniform buttons can vary in material ranging from gilded metal to brass, aluminium, horn, plastic and even vegetable fibre. Denis Darmanin writes about a hobby with a difference.
Many Maltese have a hobby or a passion for some particular pastime. Some require participating in activities and other involves collecting. Years ago, collecting postage stamps, toy soldiers, postcards or miniature cars, was quite common, although there are many, many more hobbies that very few haveever heard of. My particular hobbies are uniform buttons.
When I was young I helped my father with his stamp collection but after he passed away I found that this hobby was not for me. I was fascinated by uniforms and, apart from that, most of my relatives served in various branches of the British and colonial armed forces, including my father. This was a time when a considerable number of uniformed servicemen were still to be seen in Malta.
Considering that I hail from Vittoriosa, the first choice were ships’ badges. These were still common adorning the walls of many waterfront bars, so I would borrow them and cast and paint them myself.
For some reason, in the late 1970s, my enthusiasm changed to British Army cap badges and other insignia, which also changed after a number of years, due to many good copies or re-strikes flooding the market. I then realised that uniform buttons were more interesting and easily available and concentrated on British or British Commonwealth uniform buttons from circa 1900 to the present day, although I also added any other foreign ones that came along.
In the past, the colourful uniforms we now see worn in parades or on special ceremonial occasions were worn more frequently – even daily during the 19th century and later. Police forces, customs officials, prison wardens, pilots, fire brigades and countless other military and civilian bodies wore uniforms which, apart from the badges on their cap and other insignia, contained a number of buttons bearing the badge or distinction specific to the wearer’s particular branch.
Particular to British and Colonial/Commonwealth units and departments, their badges and buttons also changed either with the accession of a new monarch or amalgamation. During most of the 19th century the Victorian Crown featured on most British and Colonial buttons, although the Imperial Crown was introduced late in the century.
After the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the ascension to the throne by Edward VII, the British Crown portrayed on all insignia and buttons was the Tudor Crown, much referred to as the ‘King’s Crown’. It remained so until 1952 and the demise of King George VI. In 1953 Queen Elisabeth II became the new British monarch and adopted the St Edward’s Crown, which understandably became known as The Queen’s Crown.
In the past, the colourful uniforms we now see worn in parades or on special ceremonial occasions were worn more frequently, even daily
In the past when a country within the Commonwealth gained independence, the crown was removed and a new national coat-of-arms was introduced. In Malta, the crown remained on the badges and buttons worn by the army and police force until the island became a Republic in 1974.
Uniform buttons can vary in material ranging from gilded metal to brass, aluminium, horn, plastic and even vegetable fibre.
As the collection grew, reference books in various languages were sought. However, reference books on British and Colonial uniform buttons, which also detailed on who wore them and where, were limited. The spectrum of buttons was enormous.
Joining the British Button Society, the Military Historical Society and, later, the International Uniform-buttons Collectors Club was very helpful as it served to learn so much more through articles written by fellow members. But it still was not enough as a source of reference. Neither had I ever encountered any researched reference to Maltese uniform buttons.
Being reasonably good at sketching, in 1986 I contributed an article on Maltese uniform buttons and I sketched in actual size the entire known army, police, prisons, customs and other local departments that wore buttons with a particular device or badge of their branch or department.
Following that, I made contact with Howard Ripley, a renowned English specialist on uniform buttons, who supplied me with photographs, photo copies or even rough drawings of uniform buttons. For many years, together we published a succession of illustrated articles in the journals of these societies, featuring uniform buttons from Britain and the Empire/Commonwealth.
Some of these topics consisted of buttons of the British fire brigades, the armies and police forces of the Indian Princely States, the British Empire/Commonwealth, overseas territories and of every military and police unit connected to Britain.
Given that these publications were quarterlies, some of these series covered two or more issues and featured hundreds of button sketches.
Added to this, the Military Historical Society distributes an annual special publication for members that varies in subject matter, but that is mainly related to uniform items or insignia. Subjects published by Howard and myself included Rifle Volunteer Buttons, 1859-1908 (385 button illustrations and a second edition), Yeomanry Buttons, 1830-2000 (274 button illustrations), English Infantry Militia Buttons, 1757-1881 (314 button illustrations) and Scottish, Welsh and Chanel Island Infantry Militia Buttons, 1757-1881 (323 button illustrations).
Two more books published together privately were Buttons of the Regular Army, 1855-2000 (555 button illustrations) and Police Buttons (of Britain) Vol. 2 (276 button illustrations).
During these years I had become acquainted to many international museums, historians and collectors and my button collection grew. Unfortunately, years ago, the collection had to be drastically reduced from thousands to just around 100 pieces, as it was becoming time consuming. But the hobby of sketching uniform buttons never died.
Hundreds of other uniform buttons were sketched for six of the seven volumes, Buttons of the Indian Army by Lt-Col. N W Poulsom, Izzat: Historical Records and Iconography of Indian Cavalry Regiments, 1750 -2007 by Captain Ashok Nath and A Scarlet Coat – Uniforms, Flags and Equipment of the British during the War of 1812 by Rene Chartrand, one of two extensive and limited publications commemorating the bi-centenary of the war of 1812.
I am currently sketching a number of uniform buttons of early 18th-century English Fencible regiments for an article by a colleague in The Bulletin, journal of the Military Historical Society. Many more were featured in various journals and publications of which I have not kept record.
My lifelong dream is to be officially recognised for having sketched so many buttons and to feature Maltese uniform buttons in a local publication.