Mother-of-pearl buttons were once a staple of high-end tailored shirts, jackets and coats. But for such a ubiquitous fashion item, their origins are now rarely seen - and are becoming more unusual as ...

Clam shell gatherers were the front line in the booming pearl button business in 1897. Congress that year approved a favorable tariff law, the Dingley Act, giving American manufacturers an advantage ...

The crusty calluses on Jeffrey Bob's aged hands are long gone and the thick rope that cut deep into his palms has been replaced by the smooth handle of a wooden walking stick. But the soulful tunes he ...