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- Description:
- Mrs. Tom Thumb (1841-1918), was known variously as Lavinia Warren, Countess M. Lavinia Magri, and Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump. She was a dwarf who stood just 32 inches high. Lavinia Warren went under contract to P.T. Barnum in 1862, who indulged her preferences for fine clothing and jewelry.She married Tom Thumb (Charles Stratton, 1838-1883) in 1863 and the two toured with P.T. Barnum's Circus until Thumb's death in 1883. These fine slippers offer an indication of her size (very small) and style (exquisite).
- Date Issued:
- [1865 TO 1875]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- The double zig-zag vamp was popular from 1805-1815. The popularity of the oval toe precedes that of the square toe, which came in to high fashion from 1815-1830. The vamp and rounded toe of these shoes dates them to about 1805-1815.
- Date Issued:
- [1805 TO 1815]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These are one of the few pairs of 18th century women's shoes in our collection. The extremely pointed toes, small "Italian style" Louis heel, metallic braid and sumptuous trim indicate a late 18th to early 19th century date. These are expensive shoes made for an affluent woman of taste.
- Date Issued:
- [1795 TO 1805]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- This style toe was popular in the very late 18th - early 19th century. While these are called slippers, they were actually fairly fashionable shoes. The heel on this pair is very fashionable. The handwork suggests that these were custom made.
- Date Issued:
- [1790 TO 1805]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- Delicate slippers such as these were used by ladies in the early Victorian period with fashionable dress. These tied on to the ankle, much as some ballet shoes do today. These types of shoes were notoriously unhealthy-- they quickly became damp and soiled, provided no foot support, and were occasionally purchased a size or two too small so that thewearer's foot appeared dainty. It was all about looking great; women were not expected to be comfortable or accommodated by their dress.
- Date Issued:
- [1835 TO 1845]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- A note found with these shoes indicated that they were worn by the mother of J.W. Carney at the inaugural ball of James Monroe.It is not indicated, however, if it was the 1817 or the 1821 inauguration. The rounded toe dates them in the first two decades of the 19th century, which agrees with the dates of the donor note.
- Date Issued:
- [1804 TO 1815]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These slippers- really shoes- may have been used for a wedding. They appear plain but remnants of thread on the throat indicate this pair was decorated. Heeled shoes with square toes were particularly popular in the 1830's and 1840's. These leather shoes are less delicate than those made from satin, but still offer little support or protection from the elements. Thus, these are indoor shoes used to look fashionable. If worn outside they would quickly become soiled; the foot hangs over the straight soles and would likely become wet.
- Date Issued:
- [1830 TO 1850]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These shoes are delicate with very thin soles and tight fitting.The idea that woman who could wear such shoes were symbols of high social economy.Men ruled the outdoors, and by the grace of their husbands, women ruled the indoors.Constricting shoes helped to keep woman inside and dependant on their husbands.[Source:Rexford, Nancy E.Women's Shoes in America 1795-1930.Kent, Ohio:Kent State University Press, 2000.]
- Date Issued:
- [1835 TO 1845]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- Undress or negligee dress was the term given to casual, loose-fitting clothing worn in the morning before changing in to fashionable day dress. Men's embroidered slippers (bright-colored worsted work on canvas) were very popular in the early Victorian period. Ladies magazines often included embroidery patterns for house slippers that a woman mightmake for her husband as a gift. Please note that the term Berlin Work or Berlin Woolwork comes from the fact that the best embroidery patterns came from Germany.The bright-colored worsted wools were used in the embroidery were of German manufacture as well.
- Date Issued:
- [1855 TO 1865]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection
- Description:
- These shoes, commonly called slippers in this period, were likely made to match a specific outfit. They may have been made to match a wedding gown. Flimsy fabric shoes such as this were very popular, but provided no support and quickly were soiled and damaged. They were purely decorative and worn by women who were expected to stay primarily indoors and not required to do any work.
- Date Issued:
- [1850 TO 1870]
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and The Henry Ford
- Collection:
- Digital Dress Collection