ADG Blog – Page 2 – The Research & Writings of ALISON D. GILBERT

Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog

VINTAGE COSTUME FLOWER PINS

November 20, 2024 No Comments

My purpose in writing this flower pins blog post is to introduce my system of documentation and identification to everyone interested in flower pins. In table format below, this charting is called VINTAGE COSTUME FLOWER PINS.


The Vintage Costume Flower Pin Chart ©2024 designed by Alison D. Gilbert and Illustrated by Phil Jacobs
NO PREVIOUS DOCUMENTATION

Previously there was no existing, consistent written documentation until now for the entire genre of these wonderful collectibles (flower power pins). As a result for the first time in history, this system can at long last provide a universal language for just about every (vintage costume jewelry) 'flower pin' ever made.
CONSISTENT FORM OF IDENTIFICATION

In providing this system for admirers, collectors, and sellers alike, a consistent form of identifying flower pins for the entire genre of vintage costume flower pins is now available. 
In other words, the results of my extensive research has resulted in a system to identify and classify (just about every) vintage costume flower pin ever made. This following explains how my system works.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

The structure of this system consists of two divisions, as well as 6 + 4 (and more) categories. In addition this post includes definitions, descriptions, and photos where available. The table above charts the structure of this system to provide a visual description.
BRIEF SYSTEM SUMMARY

To summarize in verbal terms, there are two divisions of vintage costume flower pins created primarily around the second half of the 20th century, i.e. DIVISION ONE (anonymous) and DIVISION TWO (identified). Within the Division One categories, there are six categories and many more possibilities within the Division Two categories. 
DIVISIONS

Two divisions provide a contextual umbrella for the entire topic of 'flower pins'. But only DIVISION ONE pins make up the SIX CATEGORIES of anonymous 'flower power pins'. They are:

from Southwest Picks on ebay
A. FLOWER POWER PINS-The six categories of 'flower power pins' defined and categorized below.
FLOWER POWER PINS Anonymous flower pins made of molded metal decorated in bright enamel colors made primarily in the 1960s and 1970s.

1. Original/classic

2. Derivative/

3. Embellished

4. POP Art

5. 3D/global

6. Multi-flower
DESCRIPTIONS AND PHOTOS OF EACH CATEGORY
1. Original/classic-one and two layer daisy flower petals pins with same material center with or without stem


2. Derivatives-amorphous metal petal/layers pins

Single layer derivative flower pins

A collection of six polka dot derivative pins
3. Embellished-several metal daisy layer pins with another shape layer and a center of another material or color

A collection of 6 embellished flower  pins

4. POP Art-amorphous shape pins

No samples available at this time.
5. 3D Three Dimensional/Global

This is a 3 dimensional Orange Flower Brooch pin

6. Multi-flower Flower pin

A multi flower power pin available on etsy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
B. FLOWER PINS OR BROOCHES-Identified/signed flower pins made primarily of metal, enamel paint, rhinestones or Swarovski crystals, and synthetic fiber. 
1. Samples from the Collections of Lenora Dame.

A collection of early Lenora Dame flower pins.

Flower Pins or Brooches-Identified/designer flower pins made of metal, enamel paint, and rhinestone or Swarofski crystals stones. 
2. Samples from the Collections of Liz Palacios

A group of three magnificent Liz Palacios brooches.

More Flower Pins or Brooches-Identified/designer flower pins made of metal, wood, or Dynel (a synthetic material), enamel paint or dye, and even rhinestone.
3. Miriam Haskell
MIRIAM HASKELL Hess natural & dyed wooden bead acorns pin.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
4. Hattie Carnegie (Examples are not available at this time).
5. Many Other Jewelers
TO SUM THINGS UP

There are two major divisions of flower pins. Division One include six flower power pin categories listed immediately below.

A. Anonymous-flower power pins

1. Original/classic

2. Derivative

3. Embellished

4. POP Art

5. 3D

6. Multi-flower 
There is an limitless number of flower pins/jewelers who are listed below that.
B. Identified/signed-flower pins or brooches

1. Lenora Dame

2. Liz Palacios

3. Miriam Haskell

4. Many Other Jewelers
SOURCES AND RESOURCES

Not A Flower Power Pin

Swarovski Crystals

Flower Pin Creation

Hattie Carnegie Pins

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Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog

Beyond Flower Power Pins

November 12, 2024 No Comments

This Lenora Dame brooch and the Liz Palacios brooch look a lot like each other. Owned by author.
At this point, we can only go forward beyond flower power pins. If a pin design is marked and identifiable, it qualifies as beyond a flower power pin. Past blog posts have identified them. For example the Lenora Dame Studio, early brooch qualifies as such. And now I have discovered Liz Palacios of San Francisco and pins that also qualify. They are below. This is a sample of a Liz Palacios pin. It looks very similar to both a Flower Power Pin and the Lenora Dame pin below. Owned by author. This is the first pin by Liz Palacios I found that is similar to a flower power pin. In fact, it does look very much like an early Lenora Dame brooch. Similarities and Differences These two magnificent brooches have both strong similarities and some differences. Both are similar to flower power pins with their daisy pattern. They are decorated in lustrous bright colors with a jewel center. The former has three layers of petals. The latter has two. There are no holes in the Palacios petals. But there are in the Lenora Dame first layer of petals. In fact these two magnificent brooches are similar enough to be mistaken as designed by the same artist. But they are not! More Identified Flower Pins Here are some additional flower pins by each designer. Actually they are not as similar as the two above. But they are still noteworthy. First is a group of early Lenora Dame pins when they were available on etsy.com are below. Another rare example of Liz Palacios pins that I found on Jewellery Kaleidoscsope is below. It is probably the most outstanding of all the post flower power pins. It is absolutely magnificent. A Liz Palacios floral brooch found on Poshmark A Reminder to Collectors These flower pins are some of the most magnificent I've ever seen. But remember, they are not flower power pins. By definition these brooches have much more latitude in design and construction. This does not mean that there are not flower power pins that are also quite attractive. But they are by definition limited in what they can include.
Sources and Resources Flower Power Descendants Lenora Dame Studio Lenora Dame Studio Website Lenora Dame Designer Spotlight Liz Palacios on Hispanic Executive Liz Palacios on Regencies Liz Palacios Turquoise Brooch Liz Palacios Brown and Gold Brooch

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Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog

Exploring POP Art Flower Power Pins: A Unique Trend

November 3, 2024 No Comments

There is a unique trend in decorative pins known as POP Art Flower Power Pins. Not only are these rarities far from the original petal layer flower power pin in design and structure. But they are also for the most part priced way beyond any of the Division One flower power pins for casual collectors. I have encountered this type of pin only online and at ten to twenty times the price of most affordable collector flower power pins.
Since these unique pins have only a vague resemblance to their predecessors, they are clearly not close relatives to the original flower power pins. But as a fascinated collector such as myself, I can not exclude them from the mysterious history of flower power pins. In fact they have what seems to be their own name as well as description, POP Art Flower Power Pins. To me these pins are impressions or expressions of actual flower power pins. In other words, they suggest their predecessors. There are others that do this as well. Here are another two below. It appears that a second mystery is created here. The fist mystery is the history of the original flower power pins. And now, these avante garde expressions of the original pins are as much of a mystery as their ancestors. Specifically, they are without designer identification, country of origin, or place of manufacture. Actually this does not come as a great surprise since their manufacture date is the 1960s as well. But I love them and wish their was a way that I could come to possess one of these unique POP art flower pins Although not the most expensive of these rare treasures, the tuxedo pin is stunning. It is appropriately called 'tuxedo' because it has the glamour and sophistication of a tuxedo outfit. I would gladly accept this pin for this category of POP Art flower power pin. The only thing is that one can only wonder what merits the extraordinary price of most POP Art Flower Power pins. This brings to mind the following questions. Are they in any museums? Not to my knowledge. Are they made of precious metal or semi-precious stones. Again, not to me knowledge. Since they are not made of any precious metals or stones, what makes these so costly? I believe that it is their uniqueness and the outright outrageousness of their designs. In other words, it is their POP Art interpretation of a flower power pin that does it. SOURCES & RESOURCES Division One Flower Power Pins
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Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog Flower Pin Creation: Structure and Decoration October 5, 2024 No Comments A black and yellow flower pin composed of two petal layers with polka dots on the black petals. There are two components in flower pin creation. They are, in fact, the flower pin structure itself and then the flower pin decoration afterwards. For the purposes of defining the first aspect of flower pins, in other words the structure, there are one layer, two layer first, then three, four, and five petal layers next. The top three are usually embellishment layers without any structural function. A further refinement of the decoration process is one or a combination of enamel spray, paint brush, polka dots, and embellishment layers. Descriptions of both components, structure and decoration are in this post. The basic flower power pin found on ebay and etsy is a one petal layer flower with petal spray in one color and the center in another color spray. Then the stem is green and tends to rub off over the years. STRUCTURE Primarily the pins are molded steel, not your typical metal for jewelry making. Molded steel is inexpensive and easy to use. During the time period that the pin creation is voluminous and very inexpensive, the molded steel pins are easily cranked out with a simple spray application of enamel paint consisting of one or at most two colors. The giant daisy pins are an outstanding example of this. Two layer complimenting petal colors of the very popular, giant daisy pin found on ebay DECORATION The earliest pins are simple sprayed enamel. But as time goes on and the pins become more decorative and less socio-political, both the structure and decoration become both more complicated and more expensive. In addition there are more layers or the two layers have decoration. Polka Dots In fact, polka dots liberally come in to play in flower pin creation. WOW, how popular polka dots are. Actually, polka dots play a major design role in all kinds of fashions. A collection of six polka dot decorated pins Embellishment Layers To top this off, the extra embellishment layers create quite stunning pins. These usually third, fourth, and fifth layers are embellishment layers with no structural purpose at all but plenty of decorative appeal. The addition to base enamel spray are possible wisps of brush strokes, more layers of petals, hole punches in the outer layer and other adornment at the center to finish it off. A collection of six, three and four layer embellished flower pins CONCLUSION The flower power pin is still both abundant and very popular today. Unfortunately, the major difference is the price. They are no longer socio-political hand outs but pricey collectibles. In fact, I gingerly collect them as I have to save up to purchase them. Lenore Dame Metal Flower Brooch in Gold & Violet – One-of-a-Kind And my newest purchase is what I believe to be a relative to the embellished flower power pin. It is in fact this three layer magnificent pin. You can learn more about these magnificent brooches at these links. The Lenora Dame Jewelry Studio Early Lenora Dame Brooches May Be Flower Power Pin Direct Descendants Continue Reading Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog My Next Flower Pin Purchase October 2, 2024 No Comments An original one layer petal flower power pin My next flower pin purchase requires that I have a plan to help me decide what I choose before I take any further action related to flower power pins or other similar jewelry. In fact, the best way for me to do this is to take an inventory of my current collection including others pins that I would like in my collection. In order to do this I am using a system like the Dewey Decimal System. It will allow me to organize both sets of pins. Since there are so many of them in existence, there is no way I could accomplish this task without it. Therefore it can include pins I have and pins I would like to have. 1A. Original one layer flower power earrings without stems and three pins with stems Earrings without stems and three one layer original pins with stems 1B. Diversified one layer flower power pins with stems The above FPP styles all found on ebay are what I consider diversified not classic FPP. Actually some of these unusual styles are my favorites. In order to learn more about them, go to this link, Flower Power Jewelry Rocks 2A. Original colorful giant two layer pins with and without stem A collection of two layer giant daisy pins with and without stem from ebay 2B. Diversified two layer pins Two layer diversified pin with and without stem 3A. Embellished three and four layer flower pins Three and four layer embellished flower power pins 4A. Signed pieces as a transition from three and four layer embellished flower power pins These three sets of pins transcend flower power pins primarily because they are signed and not anonymous. 5A. More About my possible next flower pin purchase It takes no more than a quick glance at all the pins above to know which ones I would like to get. Because they have become rather expensive compared to their original prices, I do not know how long it will take to get my next flower pin purchase. None the less these are the ones I would choose: 1B. middle pin 2B. left pin 3A. all three 4A. right pin or another early Lenora Dame Studio pin 5A. two right pins What will it be? A One-of-a-Kind Lenore Dame Metal Flower Brooch in Gold & Violet I made my decision and I am counting the days until my pin arrives. It is an early Lenora Dame Studio brooch. In fact, the colors are magnificent. Because of this I wanted it from the very first time I saw a picture of it. At first I thought I had found a very special flower power pin. But I realized it was not because I recognized certain details that are different from the flower power pin. To learn more, go to flower power pins. Continue Reading RAISING SOCIAL AWARENESS, Socio-Political, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog ‘Flower Power and Pins’ Defined September 28, 2024 No Comments DEFINITION AND DESCRIPTION OF FLOWER POWER AND PINS Description: ‘An affordable token, a flower shaped symbol of flower power constructed of molded steel and enamel paint that represents the socio-political mood of the mid 1960s to 1970s.’ In fact, there is such an abundance of mass produced pins that their identity remains a mystery even to this day. Specifically, there are no identifying marks, no designer names, no known countries of origin, or anything to distinguish or identify them. Actually, the definition of flower power itself is almost as undocumented as the origin of the flower power pins themselves. In fact this post can do little more than gather up descriptions and anecdotes of flower power and pins. Flower Power image above and quote to the right and below from the article in 1-800flowers.com ‘petal talk®’ written by Michelle Yastremsky The Background “Coined in 1965 by acclaimed poet and voice of his generation Allen Ginsberg, ‘flower power’ was used to inspire a movement in which anti-war demonstrators focused on positive values such as peace and love to instead of brute force and rebellion in order to ‘fight’ for freedom.” The Concept ‘The concept first comes into being while Ginsberg helps organize a protest against the Vietnam War in Berkeley, California.’ Ginsberg Essay ‘In his essay “Demonstration or Spectacle as Example, As Communication,” Ginsberg describes a tactic using peace as a “weapon.” He suggests “masses of flowers – a visual spectacle – especially concentrated on the front lines.” He continues, “…marchers should bring harmonicas, flutes, recorders, guitars, banjos, and violins.” The Beatnik poet goes on to invite all previously persecuted groups to join the revolution, turning the phrase into a movement of peace, hope, unity, and above all – imagination.’ Allen Ginsberg Beatnik Poet and coiner of the term “flower power” from bluerailroad.wordpress The History of Flower Power The History of Flower Power by Michelle Yastremsky “The ‘Flower’ in flower power Quoting from Michelle Yastremsky “The hippies of the 1960s and 1970s take Ginsberg’s message of peaceful protesting and incorporate it into their fashions and culture. Both men and women wear flowers from on their clothing to in their hair. “Flowers in their hair range from floral head wreaths to slipping a single a dandelion into their groovy headbands (a trend that has resurfaced in fashion today). Bright, floral prints become extremely popular as do floral inspired patches. “Some hippies even paint the flower symbol on their faces to show their support and dedication to the cause. With its natural and simplistic beauty, it’s not surprising that the flower becomes the ultimate symbol of peace and love for this counterculture and era!” AMERICAN LITERARY REFERENCES The Art of Flower Power The Art of Flower Power by Zak Nguyen Paterfamilias—I Allen Ginsberg’s work to preserve the universe. By Jane Kramer August 9, 1968 How Flower Power Worked PREV NEXT By: Cristen Conger “Although Ginsberg’s essay doesn’t use the exact phrase “flower power,” he was the first to expound on the potency of flowers as “a visual spectacle” to simultaneously disarm opponents and influence thought.” Flower Power from Wikipedia PERSPECTIVE FROM ACROSS THE POND Vintage Jewelry Design ‘Classics to Collect and Wear by Caroline Cox Vintage Jewel Design, Classics to collect and wear Vintage jewelry design classics to collect and wear by Caroline Cox published by Lark Jewelry & Beading, pg.139[/caption] LarkCrafts.com An Imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 387 Park Avenue South, NYC, NY 10016 Continue Reading Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog Early Lenora Dame Brooches May Be Flower Power Pin Direct Descendants September 26, 2024 No Comments A Lenora Dame Studio Brooch beside an original one layer flower power pin Some early Lenora Dame Brooches may be flower power pin direct descendants. Both have a shared design element like a child who resembles a parent. FLOWER POWER PIN DESIGN EMBELLISHMENT Flower pin embellishment involves the ecolution from a single layer pattern through multi-layer pins. First come the simple, one layer flower power pins. Then over a period of time they likely evolve into the multi-tiered, embellished flower power pins as we call them. A picture of this is at the left. EARLY LENORA DAME STUDIO BROOCHES After embellished flower pins are the rage come the magnificent, early Lenora Dame Brooches. But the brooches themselves are not flower power pins. In fact, they cannot be. The explanation for this is available in the article Not A Flower Power Pin. None the less, they appear to have a relationship to flower power pins. In fact early Lenora Dame brooches could be the very next generation of pins in the continuation of a logical design ancestry from anonymous simple then embellished flower power pins to identifiable, early Lenora Dame Studio jewelry. Another resemblance between Lenora Dame Studio and an embellished flower power pin. Example As another example of their offspring to strengthen this conclusion that some early Lenora Dame brooches are the flower pin direct descendants is the following pair. See the pictures at left to observe them. Enlargement Enlarged Lenora Dame brooch on the left and embellished flower pin on the right. Close Up Here is an enlargement of these two brooches to reveal a leaf appearing directly before the center of the pin that is unusual but in both these pins. The leaf is light blue on the Lenora Dame brooch on the left and white on the embellished flower pin to the right. IINTERGENERATIONAL EVOLUTION From left to right, the evolution from the original, basic flower power pin to the Lenora Dame Studio brooch CONCLUSION Although there is no other written correlation that the early Lenora Dame Studio brooches are flower power pin direct descendants, the evidence that I detail above offers a logical explanation in its favor. Hopefully this information will shed some light on the pin evolution since no other documentation exists from extensive research. Continue Reading Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog The Flower Pin Evolution September 23, 2024 No Comments A Lenora Dame Studio Brooch with a classic flower power pin at its center THE FLOWER PIN EVOLUTION It is first the original flower power pin, a token in the shape and spirit of a flower that is a symbol of a socio-political statement. Then over time it transforms into a magnificent piece of jewelry with more monetary than political value. In other words, it starts out as a simple, very affordable pin with one or two layers of petals. With time The evolution continues into jewelry with three or four layers of petals even with added costume jewelry in its center. But keep in mind, these are not classic flower power pins. Flower Pin Evolution from classic, basic one layer petals to Lenora Dame magnificent jewelry. Flower Brooches from Lenora Dame Studio all with strong resemblance to flower power pins FURTHER FLOWER PINS EVOLUTIONS With time, tastes, and politics, comes the distant relatives to flower pins jewelry evolution. One stops seeing everyday flower tokens replaces with more expensive and extravagant signed pieces. Flower Brooches Evolved beyond flower power pins MORE FLOWER JEWELRY One can look in hindsight for inspiration from flower pins to growing numbers of signed, costume and costly jewelry. Before, during, and after the flower power movement, flowers have always brought joy to the heart. Here are some precious examples. More jewelry with a flower theme Continue Reading DESIGN, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog, Vintage Fashion Classic Flower Power Pin Styles September 19, 2024 No Comments Free image of wildflowers on yahoo.com Flower power pin styles blossom in anonymous abundance just as wildflowers bloom in nature in all their colorful splendor. Neither identification nor documentation exist for flower power pin styles in all their varieties before their huge popularity, during their craze in the 1960s and 70s, or even today as collectibles. Therefore the opportunity continues to exist for a collector like myself to attempt to identify and provide a clear definition of them now in 2024. Let’s start with the components that qualify a 1960s-1970s brooch for flower power pin recognition. CLASSIC FLOWER POWER PIN COMPONENTS Here are the basic flower power pin components: a. each component is molded steel b. each component color(s) is enamel paint c. there are usually one or two layers of petals (sometimes three even four) that are symmetrical on each layer d. the front of the pin looks like a daisy e. the center is also molded steel with a color of enamel paint f. stems are also steel with enamel paint g. the back of the pin component that holds it all together is a continuous screw in mechanism also made of metal h. a center ‘button’ made of the same material but not necessarily the same color The four images above illustrate the components of flower power pins CLASSIC FLOWER POWER PIN STYLES The following are all symmetrical daisy petal pins. Small pins have one layer of petals. Next, medium pins can have two layers of petal. Last, large pins can have three and even four layers of petals: a. small (@1 1/2″ diameter) b. small with stem (@ 3″ long) c. medium (@2 1/2″ diameter) d. medium with stem (@ 3 3/4″ long) e. large (3″ diameter) f. large with stem (unknown) Flower power pin styles with sizes listed in text MY CONCLUSION The FPP that I have described and illustrated here are what I consider to be the original classic FPP templates and designs. There are many other styles in addition that are shown below. I suspect they are from other companies. Since I know of no contrary documentation, I conclude my study as such. DERIVATIVE COMPONENTS AND STYLES OF FLOWER PINS The following are what I call derivative flower pins. They do not fit the parameter of either of the first two sets of illustrations. But they loosely fit the idea but not the classic definition of a flower power pin style. These three pins are in the Derivative style MORE DISCUSSION ABOUT FLOWER POWER/FLOWER POWER PINS A substantial amount of discussion does exist about flower power pins. But their existence is anecdotal rather than identification or description. Although it is entertaining to read them, they do not assist at all for identification. Some of these articles include: The History of Flower Power Flower Power from Wikipedia The Art of Flower Power The Flower Power Project On Actipedia Continue Reading Accessories, Fashion, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog, Vintage and Collectible FLOWER POWER PINS: The 1960s-1970s September 15, 2024 No Comments Polka Dot Flower Brooch Pin Purple White Enamel Long Stem Floral Vintage on ebay ‘Flower Power Pins: The 1960s-1970s’ is the ongoing mystery of the flower power pin. In order to get a clue to this mystery, it is necessary to learn about collectible vintage jewelry before, during, and after the existence these pins themselves. In addition this collection of articles chronicles my journey that leads to them, the pins themselves, and the course I take in search of them. Actually, it is the course I am still on to this day. My Journey At first, I do not start out attempting to solve this mystery. In fact, I do not even know there was an unsolved situation compared to other costume jewelry of that time, the 1960s into the 1970s. As I dig deeper the mystery becomes even darker. This is because the more I look for identification and verification, the less I find. Therefore, the more questions I have. The Anonymous Pins In fact, I can find nothing in writing that identifies these beauties. For example, what is their place of origin? where they are manufactured? who designed them? Is this information purposely hidden or is it just a coincidence? Is it possible that these answers do not have significance when they are made and it is only now that these questions tug at me to know these answers? Invitation So, without further ado here is the path I take, where is starts, where it leads me, and where I am now. Be forewarned that it is not a straight line. And it is not even complete. But this is where solving the mystery is today. It by no means is complete yet. So join me on my journey to solving the flower power mystery. The Be Jeweled Collection of Handbags and Accessories Introduction Be Jeweled Coordinates Vintage Costume Jewelry as Be Jeweled Decor Alternative Fashion Materials 1950s Lucite Handbags My Favorite Lucite Handbags Flower Power Jewelry Rocks The Flower Power Pins Mystery Not A Flower Power Pin Lenora Dame Studio My Favorite Collectible Treasures Continue Reading



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