Footwear Collection (#96)

Greek peasants, c1890. An engraving from Robert Browns The Countries of the World, published by Cassell, (London & Paris, c1890)

Spanish coastguardsmen, c1890. An engraving from Robert Browns The Countries of the World, published by Cassell, (London & Paris, c1890)

Shoe shop in Fez, Morocco, c1890. An engraving from Robert Browns The Countries of the World, published by Cassell, (London & Paris, c1890)

The Horse Guards, c1890. Artist: Geoffrey Douglas Giles
The Horse Guards, c1890. A coloured lithographic plate from Her Majestys Army by Walter Richards, JS Virtue & Company, (London, c1890)

Lieutenant-General Sir Francis Clery, commanding 2nd Division, South Africa, 1902. Artist: Cumming
Lieutenant-General Sir Francis Clery, commanding 2nd Division, South Africa, 1902. Portrait from Celebrities of the Army, published by George Newnes, (London, 1902)

Brigadier-General JG Dartnell, commanding Volunteer Brigade, Natal Field Force, 1902. Artist: W Laws Cancy
Brigadier-General JG Dartnell, commanding Volunteer Brigade, Natal Field Force, 1902. Portrait from Celebrities of the Army, published by George Newnes, (London, 1902)

Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald, (1852?1935), 1902. Artist: R Faulkner
General Douglas Mackinnon Baillie Hamilton Cochrane, 12th Earl of Dundonald, 1902. Dundonald (1852-1935) commanded a mounted brigade in South Africa in the Boer War

Crow and Heron, or Young Lovers Walking Together under an Umbrella in a Snowstorm, c1769. Artist: Suzuki Harunobu
Crow and Heron, or Young Lovers Walking Together under an Umbrella in a Snowstorm, c1769

Early Norman stockings and boots, (1910). Footwear dating from the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066. Illustration from British Costume during 19 Centuries by Mrs Charles H Ashdown, (London, 1910)

Norman shoes, (1910). Footwear featuring cross-banded chausses, dating from the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066. Footwear during this period developed twists and the point became exaggerated

King John and King Henry I, c1440, (1843). Artist: Henry Shaw
King John and King Henry I, c1440, (1843). John (left) wears clogs or pattens to keep his shoes clear of the mud. Illustration from Dresses

King George V at the Cenotaph, November 11th, 1920, (c1935). The king lays a wreath in remembrance of those who died during the First World War

A Group of Sioux Indians, 1872. Engraving from John Gilmary Sheas A Childs History of the United States, Hess and McDavitt, (New York, 1872)

Chamberlain and Paugus at Lovewells Fight, 1725, (1872). John Chamberlain shoots Paugus. John Lovewell, (1691-1725) was a British explorer and soldier who lived in Dunstable, now Nashua

Traditional Russian Costume, c1850

Slippers, Somerset House, London, 1805. A copper plate representing the itinerant traders of London, from Modern London; Being the History and Present State of the British Metropolis

Garnet Joseph Wolseley, 1st Viscount Wolseley, British Field Marshal, 1902. Irish-born Wolseley (1833-1913) served in Burma, the Crimean War, the Indian Sepoy Rebellion, China, Canada

Samoyede Travelling on Snow-Shoes, Russia, 1877. The term Samoyed applies to the whole group of different peoples. Its the general term which includes the Nenets, Enets, Selkup and Nganasan people

Steamboat travelling on the Orinoco, South America, 1877

Spaniards, 1886

Peasants of Auvergne, France, 19th century

Poles of Volhynia, western Ukraine, 1879. Polish hunters with their catch

Napoleon III, Emperor of France, 1875. Artist: DJ Pound
Napoleon III, Emperor of France, 1875. Louis-Napoleon (1808-1873) declared himself Emperor of the French in 1852. Portrait of the emperor in military uniform with ermine cloak

A Removal, c1890. Illustration from the the booklet Au Japon, Types, Costumes & Moeurs, (Paris, c1890)

Flower Merchant in Japan, c1890. Artist: Charles Gillot
Flower Merchant in Japan, c1890. Illustration from the the booklet Japon, Moeurs et Usages, (Paris, c1890)

Vegetable Merchant in Japan, c1890. Artist: Charles Gillot
Vegetable Merchant in Japan, c1890. Illustration from the the booklet Japon, Moeurs et Usages, (Paris, c1890)

La Kago, Transport of Japan, c1890. Artist: Charles Gillot
La Kago, Transport of Japan, c1890. Illustration from the the booklet Japon, Moeurs et Usages, (Paris, c1890)

Portrait of Count Andrey Bezborodko, 1804. Artist: Robert Lefevre
Portrait of Count Andrey Bezborodko, 1804. Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St Petersburg

Russian Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov inspecting troops, c1794. Suvorov (1729-1800) inspecting troops before the Elector of Saxony Palace in Warsaw in 1794

Portrait of Amelia Oginski, late 18th or early 19th century. Artist: Francois-Xavier Fabre
Portrait of Amelia Oginski, late 18th or early 19th century. Found in the collection of the State M Ciurlionis Art Museum, Kaunas, Lithuania

Bretteur (Swordsman) in a Red Cloak, 19th century. Artist: Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier
Bretteur (Swordsman) in a Red Cloak, 19th century. Found in the collection of the State A Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow

Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia, c1880s(?). Artist: V Vysotsky
Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia, c1880s(?). Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich (1864-1931) was the second son of Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaievich the Elder and Duchess Alexandra of Oldenburg

Everyday life of the Mari people, Russia, c1880s-c1890s. The Mari are a Volga-Finnic people who traditionally lived on the bakns of the Volga

Felia Doubrovska, Russian ballet dancer and teacher, 20th century. Doubrovska (1896-1981) performing in The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky. From a private collection

Portrait of Sir Thomas Wharton, 1639. Artist: Anthony van Dyck
Portrait of Sir Thomas Wharton, 1639. Dyck, Sir Anthonis, van (1599-1641). Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Seated Dancer Adiusting her Shoes, c1876. Artist: Edgar Degas
Seated Dancer Adiusting her Shoes, c1876. Degas, Edgar (1834-1917). Found in the collection of the State Hermitage, St. Petersburg

Portrait of King Alfonso XIII in a Hussars Uniform, 1907. Artist: Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida
Portrait of King Alfonso XIII in a Hussars Uniform, 1907. The posthumous son of Alfonso XII, Alfonso XIII (1886-1941) was proclaimed king at his birth, although his mother, Queen Maria Christina

The Journey of a Modern Hero, to the Island of Elba, 1814. Cartoon depicting Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor of the French

Costume design for the play The Storm by Alexander Ostrovsky, 1916. Artist: Aleksandr Golovin
Costume design for the play The Storm by Alexander Ostrovsky, 1916. Found in the collection of the State Central A Bakhrushin Theatre Museum, Moscow

Portrait of four children, 1910s. Artist: Georgi Vasilievich Trunov
Portrait of four children, 1910s. Found in the collection of the State Museum of History, Moscow

Reveille, 1912. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 14th July 1912

Departure of the cod-fishing boats from Dunkirk, 1900. Artist: Oswaldo Tofani
Departure of the cod-fishing boats from Dunkirk, 1900. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 4th March 1900

A cycle and water police officer, Paris, 1900. Artist: Oswaldo Tofani
A cycle and water police officer, Paris, 1900. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 8th April 1900

Prince Kotohito Kan in arriving at the Elysee Palace, Paris, 1900. Prince Kotohito Kan in, great-uncle of Hirohito and chief of staff of the Japanese imperial Army

Riflemen, France, 1899. Artist: Oswaldo Tofani
Riflemen, France, 1899. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 23rd June 1899

New uniform of the Gendarmes, 1896. Artist: F Meaulle
New uniform of the Gendarmes, 1896. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 13th September 1896

Different Russian military uniforms of the Emperor, 1896. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 20th September 1896

Arab and Tunisian chiefs, 1896. Artist: Frederic Lix
Arab and Tunisian chiefs, 1896. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 18th October 1896

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From timeless elegance to bold statements, it has always been an art form. Take a step back in time with Hermes' exquisite craftsmanship in 1886, captured beautifully by Jonnard's brush strokes (Picture No. 11768937). The Old Fisherman, portrayed by Joseph Edward Southall in 1903, showcases the durability and practicality of shoes even in the harshest conditions. Field Marshal Lord Roberts, depicted by Lafayette in 1902, exemplifies the power and authority that can be conveyed through footwear. In Northampton's thriving shoe industry, W Barratt & Co Ltd left their mark with stunning brochure illustrations and covers throughout history. Their designs from 1926 display a variety of ladies boots that catered to every taste (Picture No. 11072946). Meanwhile, Raoul Shoe Company made waves with their innovative advertising techniques as early as 1912. But it's not just about aesthetics; technology has also played a role in revolutionizing footwear. Witness the intriguing X-ray Stiletto High-Heeled Shoe that reveals its inner structure like never before. And for those curious about what lies beneath the surface when wearing stilettos or any other shoe style, an MRI-style X-ray captures it all. Footwear is not only a fashion statement but also reflects cultural movements and subcultures like skinheads. Fifteen-year-old Chris Harward poses proudly at home with his mother Joan while sporting his distinctive skinhead style. Whether you appreciate classic designs or embrace cutting-edge innovation, there is no denying that footwear holds immense significance both artistically and functionally throughout history.