Years after I first heard the story from bridge editor and player Jude Goodwin, I’m still searching for any stories of the Button Lady.
The Button Lady isn’t a ghost like the Grey Lady or the Headless Horseman, but instead she’s turned into some kind of legend or myth to me over time. And she might very well be a ghost of some sort if I take the amount of trouble I’ve gone to find more tales of her into account.
The way Jude described her to me, the Button Lady showed up at tournaments dressed up to stand out and covered all in buttons. Hundreds upon hundreds of buttons.
Of all the bridge player eccentricities I’ve heard of so far in my life, this is one of the ones that stand out most.
I love people with flair. I love the idea cosplay, of burlesque, of old school drag and of dressing up. I’m known to dress up on the few occasions of the year when I leave the house, even if I’m dressing up as a man in pajamas who hasn’t left the house in a few weeks. (Imagine Johnny Depp’s role as Mort Rainey in Secret Window, but sleepier.)
I’ve asked a few people at the ACBL if they’ve ever seen her around. A few bridge players might even remember having been messaged with a question or two about this. Unfortunately, these were met without a lot of success.
Maybe, just maybe, someone else out there has heard of the Button Lady.
Maybe someone has partnered up with her or played against her. And the long shot, ideal for this quest, would be to find the very Button Lady herself on BBO years after hearing about her.
I’d like to see more of the eccentrically dressed at tournament bridge games, and I’d certainly like to find out if anyone has more stories of or a possible clue relating to who I’ve come to call the Button Lady.
If you’ve ever heard any stories or rumors of the Button Lady yourself, please get in touch and I’d love to hear from you. And if you’re going to a bridge game any time soon, it’s a great idea to dress up as eccentrically as you can.
You only live once, so live with some flair while you’re at it.
Comments
8 responses to “Still Searching for the Button Lady”
It sounds like a costume worn by Cockney Pearly Kings and Queens in London UK. They dress in clothes decorated and covered with what I assume are pearl buttons.
I went to a Halloween bridge game dressed as a French Maid—I won 1st Prize!
I’m old enough to remember many eccentrics and the vendors at nationals —mostly in Texas but then I also am old enough to know Ira Corn and the Hamman/Wolfe pair. Also being a very lucky person–my partner, five years younger than I and a knockout blonde and I went to our first national (we played against life masters every week, so we photo copied our .08 rating point slips before we mailed them to ACBL. We didn’t have 3 mps between us but headed out for our first national—We arrive at the hotel have no idea how to get to the convention center nor what events to enter. As we wait for the shuttle bus we scan the crowd, see a young woman near our age and asked questione. She had been there a few days so offered to ride with us to the cc. She sat shotgun and talked to us telling us that we should play 7 and come spec her…and we did. We were very much in favor of her winning the race and she did. Kerri Schumann beat out Mike Passell for the McKenney and then we meet two girls from Tyler Unit 225 we’re 201 and team wih them on Sunday—Kay and Mary remained friends for life and Kay’s health now prevents her from playing. There is more to the Barry Crane story will save it.
You are referring to the Pearly King and Queen of London – there is a select group since the 19the century who have sewn these pearly buttons all over their clothing
I once went to a bridge tournament as Edward Scissorshands. All went well until someone said, “Cut the cards.”
The McCarthy era. Dr and Mrs Austin from NYC originally were on the last boat out of England (he was in England working on Webster’s Dictionary). They leave on the last boat but during the “witch hunt” He is barred from teaching in NY State due to a possibility that he’s a communist. So they board a train for Texas (Ruth played bridge) Warren did not. They were worried about what they might find–cowboys and Indians maybe. Warren never learned to drive a car and Ruth judged a restaurant on whether they served Half-n-half. Mc Donald’s did. They would sometimes walk 7 miles (lived in faculty apartments at Steohen F. Austin State College (Forestry then was the only school which gave it University status ) and students from all over the world studied forestry: China, So america. Also during that same error there as an English Prof. I never met his wife but was told that she was young, beautiful, and her music ability much like Eric Rodwell. When this young bride and mother died a young Dr. George Pisk was left to raise a son and daughter. His PhD was from UT so he couldn’t teach at UT but he did move to Manchaca, Texas, invest in silver, play professionally and invested in the Austin Bridge Studio. I met his son many times because when George travelled to tourneys the son was usually along to take deep sea fishing trips on Corpus Christi or in Mexico. I never met the daughter but George often said she was studying to be a political hostage and she did succeed. Became a diplomat (pls correct this if it’s diplomatic) attache. I’m old now too. George would never play online—said he might lose his psyche edge–and those who knew him—ask the San Antonio players about George. I often travelled to Austin on Master Teacher projects as a married mother of two sons. George would pick me up in the evenings take me to a neat dinner or home to play backgammon. Later he would come and play backgammon in my room at the Woodlands—not so much to play backgammon but to see my room-mate who often snored when the games began. My room mate was Mrs. Warren Austin. She died so never saw that Warren was not only cleared but awarded a professor (emeritus) from his NYC University. I never met the eldest daughter who taught in Russia. I did meet the son who was head master in a Private American School in Paris when he would visit and play bridge in Nacogdoches, Texas. The youngest daughter, my age didn’t play bridge either…she was too busy translating for her husband hiking in So America–not only did he discover a new butterfly but name it after his wife. Oh, they did have a son and his name was Austin, but not for the Capitol of Texas! Let the San Antonio guys tell you about Pisk. He got me into more trouble with my husband. My mentor was the best femal player in Nacogdoches and a Flight A. Pisk would come grab me and say, “come on you need to play with some friends of mine” “Cleo would say oh go ahead , you won’t win” Yeah right–she goes home and hubby has to come fetch me–one trip he stopped at Six Flags with younger son and neighbor child before fetching me from a DFW tourney—Get Skohan to tell you about the missing pard and a swiss team match. and a memorial team match later….
I have a suspicion that the Button Lady is an urban myth. Especially if she is referenced in different cities at different times. So many people have heard of her, but no-one has ever seen her!
Before asking bridge players to dress more eccentrically, we might try to get them to bathe first.