Monogrammed French Celluloid-Handled Steel Button Hook (M monogram set 1 of 3)
Description
Late Victorian to early Edwardian button hook featuring a cream celluloid handle and steel hook shaft, used for fastening gloves and buttoned boots.
Use
Button Hook (Personal Grooming / Dressing Tool)
Made/Created
Date made
circa 1890 - circa 1915
Time Period
Victorian, Edwardian
Place
Country
France
Notes
Mass-produced personal accessory for the middle-class market
Ethnography
Notes
Button hooks were indispensable accessories during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when footwear and gloves often featured long rows of closely spaced buttons. The introduction of mass-produced celluloid handles reflects industrial innovation and the democratization of fashionable dress. Once zippers and elastic closures became common after World War I, button hooks rapidly declined in daily use.
Button hooks were essential dressing tools used to fasten:
High-button leather boots
Spats
Gloves
Bodices and undergarments
The hook passed through a buttonhole to pull the button into place — especially useful when garments fit tightly.
Inscription/Signature/Marks
Stamp on bottom of Hair Receiver in this set says "France"
M monogram on handle
Materials
Material Notes
Method of Manufacture
Machine-formed steel shaft
Forged or stamped hook end
Molded celluloid handle (early thermoplastic)
Press-fit or threaded attachment between shaft and handle
Celluloid was one of the earliest synthetic plastics, widely used from the 1870s through the early 20th century as an ivory substitute.
Materials
Steel
Celluloid (imitation ivory)
Color
Ivory
Condition
Overall Condition
Very Good
Date Examined
Mar 2, 2026
Notes
Minor surface wear to handle consistent with age
Light oxidation visible on steel shaft
No visible structural damage
General Notes
Note Type
Historical Note
Note
This button hook, dating from approximately 1890 to 1915, illustrates the practical tools required to navigate the highly structured garments of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. The cream-colored celluloid handle imitates carved ivory, reflecting both technological innovation and shifting material culture. The steel hook was designed to grasp and pull small buttons through tight buttonholes, particularly in women’s high-button boots and gloves. Such tools were common fixtures on dressing tables and in travel cases, emblematic of a period when personal attire required patience, precision, and assistance.
