HISTORY Of The Australian Pearl Shell Industry Part 3/3

HISTORY- THE AUSTRALIAN PEARL SHELL INDUSTRY . P.t 3/3
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A lack of expertise slowed the industry’s growth, until Viennese experts helped established the ‘Australian Pearlbutton Manufacturing Co. Ltd.’ In 1929.

The industry almost collapsed during both world wars due to workers enlisting And during WW2, Japanese divers were imprisoned when Japan entered the war. . 
Recovery of the industry post war was slow due to previous over-harvesting and high production costs and fresh water shell and casein became competing materials for  button manufacturing.

In the 1950s plastic largely replaced the pearl shell buckles and buttons.
The pearling industry changed to one where the cultured pearl became the desired object and the pearl shell a side product.

#historyfacts #historical #history #divers#pearldivers #pearldiver #buttons#pearlbuttons #pearlshellbuttons#shellbuttons #shell #pearls#pearlingindustry #industry #1800s#fashion #costume #australia#stitchintimeandfilm #goldenlippearlshellimages from the Powerhouse Museum.