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Pair of Half-Boots (Britain)

Pair of embroidered half-boots from England, mid-19th century. Pair of embroidered half-boots from England, mid-19th century. Courtesy Victoria and Albert Museum, acc. no. T.24&A-1936.

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London houses a pair of wool embroidered half-boots (also called ankle boots), which date to the mid-nineteenth century and were made in Britain. They are made of canvas, with elastic side gussets, and with the uppers being (hand) embroidered. The boots measure 18 x 10 x 28 cm.

Curatorial information tells that women used to embroider footwear at home. The uppers of these particular half-boots were probably worked separately and passed on to the shoemaker to be attached to sole and heel. 

V&A online catalogue (retrieved 22 February 2017).

WV

Last modified on Wednesday, 22 February 2017 18:00