Buttonhooks and Shoehorns
By Sue Brandon
(Shire, Paperback, 9780852636961, 32pp.)
Publication Date: September 23, 2008
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The everyday need for a buttonhook began in the early nineteenth century when it was used to fasten leather button boots. However, it was in the 1880s that saw the development of a wide range of buttonhooks in varying sizes, shapes and materials, following the fashion for a line of buttons on ladies' gloves. Shoehorns were frequently produced as companions to buttonhooks and are still in widespread use. Like the buttonhook, a wide range of shoehorns have been produced. A perfect companion for any collector, this book examines and describes the design and evolution of both buttonhooks and shoehorns throughout history.
Sue Brandon and her husband have been collecting buttonhooks since 1972. From the beginning they collected every type of buttonhook and this has resulted in a comprehensive collection, which now extends to other associated items such as shoehorns. Mrs Brandon is a member of the Buttonhook Society.