Pearl (button) of wisdom!
This cream-colored piece of cardboard has a delicate floral motif in orange and green, with a black 1930s stylized heading of “Mermaid Pearls.” Secured to the card are five dainty mother-of-pearl buttons, with space for a missing sixth button.
Mermaid Pearls was a brand manufactured by Hawkeye Button Company in Muscatine, Iowa, which was considered the “pearl button Capital of the World”; the company was founded in 1903 and was one of the largest button manufacturers in the US.
These buttons were retailed by R.A. McWhirr Company, one of Fall River’s leading department stores. According to the original price sticker on the backside of the card, one could buy a set of lovely pearl buttons for 15 cents, not a bad deal!