Oval button with a metal back and a plastic-covered paper front; the front of the button has printed wording and two trillium symbols in yellow on a dark blue background; the back of the button has an attached metal pin and clasp.
Oval button with a metal back and a plastic-covered paper front; the front of the button has printed wording and two trillium symbols in yellow on a dark blue background; the back of the button has an attached metal pin and clasp.
Number Of Parts
1
Provenance
Owned by Peter Lewis when he was the Vice President of Operations at Kingston General Hospital from 1986 to 1996.
Based on provenance; time Peter Lewis was at Kingston General Hospital
Material
metal: silver-grey
plastic: clear
paper: dark blue; off-white
ink: yellow
Inscriptions
The front of the pin reads, "Registered Nurses' // Association of Ontario" along the top and bottom edges and "Nurses for Health" in the middle; the side of the pin reads, "MFG by HAS NOVELTIES LTD. TORONTO 863-1190"
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-C4-7
Length
7.0 cm
Width
4.5 cm
Depth
0.8 cm
Unit Of Measure
centimeters
Dimension Notes
Length: 7.0 cm. x Width: 4.5 cm. x Depth: 0.8 cm.
Condition Remarks
The button arrived somewhat dusty
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Website
Person
Reference Comments
Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, "RNAO's Proud Past," https://rnao.ca/ninety#:~:text=The%20GNAO%20was%20formed%20in,role%20unofficially%20the%20previous%20year.
Christina Concord, "The Evolution and History of Promotional Products," Antina Promotions, Dec 3, 2018. https://www.antinapromo.com/the-evolution-and-history-of-promotional-products/
Lorna Knight, Kingston General Hospital Archives
Research Facts
The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario gained its name in 1925, changing from the Graduate Nurses' Association of Ontario. Florence Emory was the organiation's first president after the change. The organization developed standards for nursing education and practice, and made registration for nurses mandatory.
In 1789, United States President George Washington created commemorative buttons to mark his election. These commemorative buttons were the first promotional items to be given away.