My vintage brooch collection

My vintage brooch collection

I have a secret to share – besides collecting vintage knitting and sewing patterns, I also collect brooches!

They’re mainly from the 1930s-1950s, but there’s a few modern ones in there as well.

I have a couple of passions, one for 1940s carved lucite brooches – case in point: lobsters and crabs oh my!

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My latest prize is a carved lucite safety pin brooch, with diamante detail:

Monogram brooches – Bs and Rs:

Scottie dogs and sweetheart brooches:

The 1940’s beaded dangle brooch below was a present from Jakk and my first real novelty brooch. I blame her for my collecting bug.

Cowboy brooches,  Niello (Siam) silver and celluloid:

I store all my brooches (80+) on some white picture frames from IKEA – cover the backing board in wadding and fabric, and they’re a cheap and easy storage solution.

It’s hard to pick a favourite, but if I could only take one brooch with me I think it would be the lucite crab (another present from Jakk). It’s just so silly, and it makes me smile when I catch a glimpse of it in a reflection.

Novelty brooches are pretty hard to come by in Australia (about 90% of these came from the USA) but you can find them if you look hard.

Do you collect anything a bit different? I’d love to see photos!

Edited to add – OK, I also collect Australian Lustrewear! Maybe I have a problem…