Anna Davis
When the first boom of industrialization hit Britain during Victoria’s reign, and families rushed toward the economic promise it signaled, the world shifted. Drawn to urban centers and away from agrarian spaces, the people immersed themselves in progress, in new technologies, in advancement. But it was only a matter of time before art, and the fashions with it, began to reveal a longing for that forgotten, quieter, more natural world. During the Victorian Era, flowers were the most common motif displayed on artisan buttons, followed in short order by bugs.
Of the tens of thousands of buttons Susan Davis has collected during her reign as “button-ologist” at the soon-to-retire St. Francisville institution Grandmother’s Buttons, the insect adornments have earned a special place in her heart. Perhaps it’s because of the way a butterfly or a dragonfly so aptly symbolizes transformation, change, growth.
As we kick off the first issue of Country Roads’ fortieth year, reflections on change and growth seem especially apt. Our annual Analog issue always invites us to indulge in our longings for the forgotten, quieter, more natural world that preceded us; as well as to contemplate the way the world changes, what we’ll bring with us into the future, what we’ll leave behind, how we’ll change with it, how we’ll stay the same.
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