Take a careful look at this shoe- who wore it? when? how was it made? what different methodologies might you employ to delve into its background? Please comment on the blog (via "post a comment" at the bottom of the page) and be prepared to review in class. Footcandy - enjoy!
2/14/11
ReplyDeleteLovely Valentine gift. The decorated part of the shoe looks to be embroidered silk. I would guess it is for dancing. The outer part looks like leather. My guess is that the outer piece either keeps the embroidered one clean when having to walk outside, or provides grip when having to walk on slippery surfaces. I recently bought my father a pair of Yak Tracks, which can be put on almost any shoe or boot to keep him from slipping on ice and snow when he goes for his daily walk. Unfortunately, they can be dangerous on tile. His comment was “You know the slogan ‘American runs on Dunkin’, Yak Tracks slip on Dunkin.” I suggested he carry a pair of slip on slippers that he could slip his whole shoe/Yak Tracks combination into when he arrives at the local Dunkin Doughnuts on his walk, similar to this dance shoe/cover combination.
It looks like there is some kind of label in the shoe; I would start there on my research of where the shoe came from and its possible use. I goggled “Old New England Silk Shoes” and came up with the following from Historic New England’s web-site. http://www.historicnewengland.org/collections-archives-exhibitions/collections-access/collection-object/capobject?gusn=GUSN-3400&searchterm=None Their pair of shoes has an almost identical cut as the shoe on the blog. I would therefore guess that they were made in London, Cheapside, about 1770, sold in Boston, New York, Portsmouth to an affluent buyer. Continuing to search, using Google images, I came across a photo that had a pair of shoes complete with “pattens” being auctioned off by Christie’s in November of last year. “my favorite item is a pair of 18th-century embroidered, green silk lady's shoes protected by equally beautiful pattens, overshoes worn outside to elevate the normal shoe above mud and dirt (estimate: £5,000-£6,000).” See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624342496563972.html
Gillian Cusack
Good sleuthing, Gillian. Keep up the good work. I will bring the shoe in today for closer inspection--since the weather is good! Just did an entire lecture on the SBM shoe and patten for the DAR last week.
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