Silk Brocade Shoes “For Exportation”

These dainty silk brocade shoes were made by London boot and shoemaker, Charles Chapman and exported to British America. While we do not know who owned them –the provenance has been lost—they were most likely worn in New England. 

The brocaded silk is visually appealing with pinks, pale green and raspberry tones on an ivory ground, and most likely dates to a decade or so before the actual shoe was made. Note that there was some piecing (the straps for the buckles are not matched for example) of the shoes. The style of the shoe, with its diminutive heel and placement, indicates a date range in the 1780s. They are in fine condition.

Fortunately, the survival of a label affixed to the footbed of the shoe reveals that the maker was located at 80 Cornhill in London and his business made shoes for retail shoppers as well as for export. Alas, other details regarding these shoes are lost to us at present.

The shoes are in the collection of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, in Boston and all photos are courtesy of the NSCDA. The author appreciates the generous assistance of Nancy Lamb, Chair of the Costume Committee, and Becky Putnam, for the invitation to speak at the Society’s Beacon Street headquarters on these, and many other shoes in the collection, February 2016.

Silk Brocade Shoes Worn by a Bride Who Was Lame, 1764

According to Ipswich Museum files, these silk brocade shoes were worn at wedding of Miss Mary Wise of Chebacco (Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts). She married Nathaniel Farley in 1764 or early 1765 (their intention to marry was  dated 17 November 1764).  She was in her early twenties and 
this was her first marriage, while it was Nathaniel's second.

Even at first glance, it is clear the shoes are unusual in their composition. One shoe has been built up at the sole and heel to accommodate the difference in the length of the bride's legs--she was lame. Therefore, the height of one of the heels is 1.25" and the other is 2.75”. How was this accomplished? A special wood “platform”  was added to one shoe. Using the same quality materials which comprise the shoe textile, special care was taken to match the front portion of the "addition." It is neatly, even meticulously sewn. More study is needed of the wooden super structure, its method of construction and attachment, and any interior details. The style, quality of material and work would indicate a London manufacture, special order, or an especially highly skilled British American cordwainer.

Rather than hide her "infirmity" by wearing less attractive, but practical, heavy leather shoes built up on the inside or outside, Mary appears to have made the decision to celebrate her wedding in the elegant style of the times. The silk of her brocade shoes would have caught glints of light as she walked, as would the glittering buckles. Her shoes were not meant to be hidden. She may also have been bowing to familial wishes, but I like to think that she expressed her intentionality through a conscious decision. Then as now, most brides want to look their best on their wedding day.

Mary was born in Chebacco in 1741 and died in Ipswich in 1792.  Her first child was a son named Daniel, born 26 September 1765.  Her husband Nathaniel Farley had a son named Nathaniel by his first wife Elizabeth Cogswell. The shoes were passed down through the family and are now in the care of the Ipswich Museum. They are currently on view (2015) in the exhibition "Cosmopolitan Consumption: New England Shoe Stories, 1750-1850" at the Portsmouth Athenaeum (www.PortsmouthAthenaeum.org.)

Ph.D. candidate Nicole Belolan is examining this topic via her dissertation: “Navigating the World: The Material Culture of Physical Mobility Impairment in the Early American North, 1700-1861,” is about material culture and disability in early America. If you have information to share, she may be reached at http://nicolebelolan.org

Remade Brocade: From Wedding Dress to Wedding Shoes

Textiles in the 17th and 18th century held their value long after a given style had ceased to be popular. Over and over, we find examples of brocades, damasks, woolens and so on, cut down and made into smaller items: a child's dress made from a mother's gown; a woman's bodice or jumps fashioned from a man's coat or an earlier a dress; a quilted petticoat transformed to bedspread, and textiles to shoes, needle cases and any number of smaller belongings. In this context, the use of a silk brocade from a 1739 wedding dress being refashioned for wedding shoes in 1773 is certainly consistent. Further, weddings are frequently conservative events, naturally imbued with traditions shared across generations.

When the 21 year-old bride, Deborah Thaxter (1752-1832) married Capt. James Todd (1751-1831), on 18 November, 1773, her mother had died few years earlier, in 1769. According to the Maine Historical Society (For more:), the young bride wore these silk brocade shoes, made from the fabric of her mother's wedding dress. (Her mother, Deborah [Lincoln] Thaxter, was married on 29 November 1739.) The family had its roots in the founding of Hingham, Massachusetts.

The survival of these shoes, created using a “repurposed” silk most likely held personal significance and meanings not included in the current family record. While the mother's circa 1730s silk brocade features rosy peach colored floral motif at the toes and bold plant forms associated with Baroque textiles, the form of the shoe is in keeping with the changes found in the later 18^th century: longer shoe with a pointed toe and much smaller and narrower heel. The decision to employ an approximately 40 year-old textile was clearly of the bride's choosing. Memory of her mother was carried literally and figuratively into her new life via her new/old shoes.

The early years of Deborah's married life were punctuated by considerable uncertainty. Her husband, Captain Todd, was captured by the British while en route from Havana to Boston shortly after their marriage. The couple's first child was born 4 May 1774 and their next child, not until 1788. Capt. Todd was held prisoner for nearly nine years. Released in June 1784, he remained a sea captain until 1804.

As noted by the Maine Historical Society, the couple's youngest son, James, apprenticed as a gilder and looking-glass maker in Boston, then moved to Portland in 1820, where he operated the Portland Looking Glass Manufactory, served as president of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association, and was active in politics.

A Pair of Lady's Shoes From the Lynn Museum, c. 1780s

In preparation for a talk at the Lynn Museum "The Art & Mystery of Making Shoes: New England Shoe Stories From the Long 18th Century," I am making an advance trip to visit some old "friends" such as the shoe pictured above. 

This pair of lady’s shoes, c. 1780s (probably London, no markings or label) features white silk brocade, with an exuberant, stylized floral pattern.  While the colors are faded, the palette was muted initially. The heels are covered in the same material and exhibit the leaner profile seen as the 18th century progressed.  A buckle was used to secure the shoe; however, no evidence of pin holes or stress on the fabric was evident upon close inspection by the Director Kate Luchini, Assistant Director, Abby Battis and the author.  The pointed tongue may have been altered, probably square. There is a straight side seam, and as was frequent, no separate left or right shoe.   The lack of wear and somewhat unfinished appearance may indicate that the shoe was either a display sample or worn only a few times, then put away.

At 9 ¾” long, 3 ¼” wide, 4 ¾” high, these shoes would be approximately a size 8.5 to 9 in US sizing.

Courtesy,  Lynn Museum (www.LynnMuseum.org)

"My Party Dress:" Mrs. Eddy Visits the House of Pingat, 1878

This sumptuous Victorian silk brocade and silk satin dinner dress by the House of Pingat was purchased in Paris by Mrs. Augustus Newland Eddy (Abbie Louise Spencer, 1850-1909) while traveling with her father in 1878. According to the donor’s family, Mrs. Eddy wore this dress for a portrait painted by G.P.A. Healy. One can only imagine how she felt being painted wearing such a grand dress! (From the Chicago History Museum Collections, more here)

In addition to the survival of her dress, we can also glean something of her knowledge of French haute couture based on entries in her travel log or daybook. Indeed, she referred to this as her “party dress.” Her account also indicates a substantial amount of time was spent shopping not only for herself but others, including Chicagoan Mrs. Marshall Field.

September 13: Arrived in Paris at noon…. Ordered Dell’s [Mrs. Arthur Caton] black dress and Arthur’s suit. 

September 14: To Pingat. Ordered Mrs. F’s dress [Mrs. Marshall Field], Dell’s cloak and mine. To Grange & Majantus. Ordered my bronze dress.  

          September 16: Ordered Dell’s blue dress.

September 17: Ordered my party dress. Bought corsets, shoes…

A photo of Mrs. Eddy with her husband and son, wearing her Pingat dress survives, in addition to the Healy painting.

As noted by the Chicago Historical Museum: Abbie was "the wife of Augustus Newland Eddy, a manufacturer and merchant who later became a member of the Chicago Stock Exchange, she enjoyed traveling abroad and after 1900 made annual trips to Europe. Mrs. Eddy favored French fashions and became highly knowledgeable about the dressmakers and shops in Paris. In addition to her donations of European couture, the Chicago History Museum has many of Mrs. Eddy’s journals and scrapbooks which speak of her visits to Europe’s leading houses of couture. Eventually, many of her friends turned to her for advice on where to shop while in Europe, and Mrs. Eddy would often suggest the houses of Worth, Pingat, Virot, and Doucet."

"Goods to America" The Hose Family Exports Shoes From London, c.1730-1798

Mary Rand's 1773 London wedding shoes
"Jno. Hose & Son"
Courtesy, Connecticut Historical Society

Published in the Portsmouth Athenaeum Journal 2013

"Goods to America" 

The Hose Family Exports Shoes, c. 1730-1798.

Article begins on page 30
Link here

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Wool: Celebrating Fiber Arts at Historic Deerfield

This past weekend, while visiting my older daughter at UMass-Amherst, I had the opportunity to spend a truly exceptional afternoon at Historic Deerfield (Deerfield, MA), attending the "Celebrating Fiber Arts" exhibition.  Located in the Helen Geier Flynt Center, I had reason to anticipate a delightful excursion through these collections.  On a previous visit in 2011, I had presented a paper on Georgian architecture and design at the annual fall symposium.  More recently, I visited the textile collection and immersed myself in the fabulous footwear for my current research on Georgian shoes in Colonial America.

            This visit was decidedly different: I was there to savor, discover, and, simply, enjoy. No time frame or pressing goals to be met. No one else present in the gallery, leaving me the opportunity to immerse myself in the surroundings without the need to jostle for a perch. So many aspects of this installation and its rubric of space make it noteworthy. I find compelling the fact that the primary textiles associated with historic garments have been organized thematically: cotton, linen, silk and wool. Within this format, the curatorial staff introduces select items or recent acquisitions each season, on a rotating basis. This was my second visit to the "rotation," and I found it just as interesting as the first. While I enjoy blockbuster fashion exhibits as much as anyone, the intimacy of the space and the careful – might I say reverential? - selection of objects (38 according to press materials) allowed the liberties of close inspection and reflective inquiry. Despite working closely with museum collections for over 25 years, I felt as though I was making new discoveries with each step.

Do put this in your planner – the exhibition closes on December 29^th!

A few of my favorite "interactions." All photos are courtesy of Historic Deerfield (www.Historic-Deerfield.org) and a list of captions may be found at the end of this post.

And the shoes? Stay tuned…

The author thanks Ned Lazaro, Collections Manager and Associate Curator of Textiles, for his assistance.

Illustrations:

- Court dress, blue & white silk brocade, woven in Lyon, France, c.1760. Note expansive panniers.

- Detail, blue & white silk brocade Court dress with "fly” or floss fringe, c.1760.

- Man's early 19thc. linen plain weave shirt. Fabric, probably England; garment, probably American.

- English or American corset, 1820-1830, bleached satin weave cotton and twill weave cotton tape. The grommets are of ivory. Acc.# F.310

- Ladies' wallet or pocketbook (1750-1800) is rare in that it is attached to a known maker, Rebecca Kingsbury (1713-1807) of Dedham, MA. Rebecca was a schoolteacher in the 1730s before marrying Nathan Gay in 1740. Wool, silk, linen & pasteboard.

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Historic Deerfield’s costume and textile collection has long been considered one of the finest in America.  Begun by the museum’s founder, Helen Geier Flynt, the collection features a vast array of costumes, needlework and domestic textiles which are displayed on a rotating basis.  Newly installed in this permanent gallery for the season are 38 exciting examples of American and European clothing, accessories, textiles and needlework from the 17th century through the mid-20th century.   


See more at:

 http://www.historic-deerfield.org/event/exhibitions/celebrating-fiber-arts-helen-geier-flynt-textile-gallery/#sthash.UaUmyClJ.dpuf