Liberty Locket Button
When a soldier enlisted in the army or was conscripted, they were forbidden from carrying any form of personal information of them into battle. This restriction applied to letters and photos that could potentially be sent home. The Liberty Manufacturing Company of Los Angeles developed a workaround to this restriction of carrying loved ones’ photos into battle. That was the Liberty Locket button. On the surface, these small lockets look just like normal Rimmed Eagle buttons however, they feature a small hinge that allows the user to sneak a small photo into the button. These both allowed the soldier to pass any potential inspections as well as keep a photo of their mother or sweetheart in battle.
The locket features a thin bronze plate that resembles a standard Rimed Eagle Button. Behind it is the main locket, comprised of brass with the Liberty Manufacturing Company inscribed on the back. On the inside, it features a small hidden friction clasp pin and the primary frame where the photo was kept.
Christofferson, Lennart. “100 Years Ago – Los Angeles Company Helped WWI Soldiers Keep Close to Loved Ones.” Los Angeles City Historical Society, Los Angeles City Historical Society, 23 Jan. 2020
Cover Photo Courtesy of the US National Archives
American Militaria Reference
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