Hunt Button Collecting

Every now and again a hunt button will turn up that is not only new to us all, but that pushes our knowledge of the history of hunting back several generations. Probably the best known member of the Eden family of Windlestone Hall in Rushyford, County Durham is Sir Anthony Eden (later Lord Avon), one-time…

Another popular area of hunting-related collecting is that of antique horns, with some collectors concentrating on the ‘upper end’ and Presentation pieces.  Recently, one such presentation (or testimonial) horn helped to solve a button collectors mystery.  As ever, it was a question of finding the links and cross-referring various pieces of information that already existed…

In the past, I have featured Military Hunt buttons from the U.K., and at the end of one of those articles I mentioned I was on the look-out for a number of American Military Hunt buttons, or The Service Hunts as they are known. Well, by an incredible turn of luck or coincidence, a good…

When it’s a race meeting. I recently found out that I (and many others) have been wrong about a certain button for years; and it all comes down to the word ‘Hunt’.  Many readers will already know that many ‘jump’ racing associations are called the ‘Something or other Hunt‘ – after all that’s where the term…

After being away for quite a long break, I thought I would use this opportunity to catch up on some previous articles, and share some new discoveries Starting with Military Hunt buttons:   Here are two new acquisitions with which I am particularly pleased. This is an early hunt button for the 15th (Yorkshire East Riding)…

Predominantly, but not exclusively, used as dress buttons on evening tails, mounted buttons are some of the more spectacular examples of hunt buttons. (N.B.  Here I talk of the UK and Ireland.  Europe has a stunning tradition for, and variety of, mounted buttons used for field wear.)  I thought I would share a few images…

In this second part looking at Military and Regimental hunt buttons, I’ll take a look at some of the early examples.  Straight out of the gate, I’ll apologise for the quality of some of the images.  These buttons can be rare, and I have used images from the Firmin pattern books. Although it is more…

Over recent weeks Baily’s have added  a number of images of military and regimental packs to the image Gallery.  These have sent me scurrying to see if the pack(s) in question have a known hunt button or not. The subject of military hunt buttons is one fraught with contention.  One could say it’s a minefield;…

All hunt button collectors will be familiar with the occasional memory block regarding the Kildare and Kilkenny hunt buttons, and which is which.  Just as we get it straight, Baily’s own Peter Brook has thrown the most wonderful cat in amongst the pigeons. Firstly, let’s review what we know, and I’ll reveal all later. The…

In these days of databases, websites and ‘the cloud’, I thought I’d show you a wonderful ‘old school’ reference library. Originally, the work and property of Mr Fred Courtier – one of the most respected, knowledgeable and highly organised hunt button collectors of the end of the 20th century – these are his reference cards,…