Badge, button badge

Pin back button badge commemorating the Anglo-Boer conflict in South Africa. The colour chromolithgraphed image, printed on paper with a culloid covering depicts the British lion guarding a cage holding captive the Boer leaders Steyn and Kruger. The badge has a tinplate frame and a pin for securing to clothing. Inserted in the tinplate back is a paper label printed with the maker's name and address and patent date July 21st 1896. The Whitehead & Hoag company was one of America's leading producers of button badges. This was one of several badges produced for export by the company to the UK relating to the Anglo-Boer conflict. The conflict caused mass patriotic fervour in the UK and the demand for such cheap badges satirising the Boer leaders and glorifying British imperial domination was extremely high. In London such items were commonly sold by street traders for a penny (1d) and worn with pride by all classes of Londoners.