Woman's Wedding Shoes and Shoe Holder
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Bertha Olmstead
American
ShoemakerMade by
Unknown
Date5 June 1862
MediumMachine-stitched silk, cotton, and leather
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width x depth): 1 7/8 x 2 1/2 x 9 3/8in. (4.8 x 6.4 x 23.8cm)
ClassificationsCostume
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Nelson Lee Smith
DescriptionCream-colored satin slippers with flat soles and square toes. The throatline is square. The vamp is decorated with white silk ribbon bow. There is no center back seam, but two side seams. The upper is lined with plain-woven white cotton; the sock lining is also plain-woven white cotton. The throatline is bound with narrow silk tape. One end of a long loop of very narrow tape is stitched to either side of the slipper.
Object number1974.24.2a-c
NotesHistorical Note: Bertha Olmsted was the daughter of John and Mary Ann Bull Olmsted, and the half sister of Frederick Law Olmsted. She married Bishop William Woodruff Niles in Hartford, Connecticut, on 5 June 1862. He was an Episcopal Bishop in New Hampshire for over forty years. The couple's friends held a 25th anniversary party for them at their home, and Bertha Olmsted wore her wedding dress (1974.24.1a-c) again for the celebration.Subject Terms
On View
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