Bootees
Not on view
Atypical of most surviving baby shoes, the pair here is made from a patterned cotton print. The small geometric coral design is very distinctive of the 1840s, and printed cottons of this type were used extensively for women's day dresses. These handmade shoes could well have been fashioned from leftover scraps. The construction of the shoes is meticulous, with every edge bound in silk tape before assembly.
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