This livery button, found in the Surrey Hills, was manufactured by Pitt & Co. of London between 1875 and 1894. It features the striking design of a kneeling camel, a heraldic or symbolic device likely chosen by the household or institution it represented.
Livery buttons were worn on the uniforms of servants, coachmen and staff working for wealthy families, and each design was unique to the employer. They were not only practical fasteners but also clear symbols of identity and loyalty, displaying coats of arms, animals or other motifs associated with the household.
The camel, unusual in English heraldry, may have been adopted to signify connections with trade, travel or colonial service, all of which were significant themes in Victorian Britain. Pitt & Co., based in London, was one of the leading manufacturers of livery buttons in the 19th century, producing high-quality uniform fittings for clients across the country.
Though modest in size, this button offers a fascinating glimpse into the social history of Surrey during the Victorian era, when great houses employed teams of liveried staff whose uniforms carried the symbols of their employers’ wealth, heritage and ambitions.
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