Even the simplest things have complex histories.

For the first display celebrating Lawrence’s sesquicentennial, the Watkins Community Museum is displaying buttons used in clothing from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The exhibit, “150 Years of Buttons,” is open through Feb. 10.

The exhibit includes buttons from Pauline Meyer, Dolly Blood, Anne Hemphill and the Olmstead Family. Buttons from the 1850s and a narrative about the use of buttons are part of the exhibit.

The museum is located at 1047 Mass. St.