This pair of quilted silk button boots is reputed to have been made by Gundry & Sons for Queen Alexandra when she was Princess of Wales. These button boots, made as prize work to demonstrate the skill of the shoemaker, come from an important collection of footwear and shoemaking objects thought to have been initiated by the London shoemaker, Robert Dixon Box, and consolidated by his son, Joseph Box and the Box Kingham family during the second half of the 1800s. The collection ranges from remnants of leather shoes from the Middle Ages found in English archaeological sites, to intact European shoes from the 1600s onwards, 'foreign' shoes collected as 'curiosities' from around the world, shoe buckles, spurs and snuff boxes, as well as company documents relating to Joseph Box Ltd.

The Joseph Box shoe company was an important London shoemaking business established in 1808 by a 'ladies shoemaker' called James Sly. From 1816 Sly's apprentice was Robert Dixon Box, the fifteen-year-old son of a bankrupted Quaker attorney. Box became manager of the business when Sly died in 1826, subsequently attaining a reputation for fine shoemaking through participation at international exhibitions and by obtaining Royal Warrants. The business became known as Joseph Box Ltd in 1862 after it was transferred to Robert's son, Joseph. Like his father, Joseph started in the trade at the age of 15, but retired at the relatively early age of 42 to enable his daughters to enter society. Although he transferred the business to his cousins the Box Kinghams in 1882, Joseph maintained an active interest in shoemaking through collecting. Some of the shoes in the collection feature a remarkable 20 stitches to the centimetre exemplifying the attention to detail and quality of workmanship Joseph Box shoes became renowned for. At the end of the century the business was later taken over by royal shoemakers Gundry & Sons, which was itself taken over by John Lobb Ltd some time after 1953.

The Joseph Box collection provides a unique insight into footwear history, demonstrating how changes in contemporary attitudes, needs and etiquette directly affected shoe design. It also reveals the fine skills of shoemakers as well as the impact of scientific developments and technological innovations on the materials and construction methods.

Reference:
Mitchell, Louise, with Lindie Ward, 'Stepping out: three centuries of shoes', Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 1997

This pair of quilted silk button boots is reputed to have been made for Queen Alexandra when she was Princess of Wales. The 1965 Box collection list describes the boots as: ' Made by Gundry and Sons Soho Square for the late Queen Alexandra when Princess of Wales c 1870'. Footwear specialist, June Swann dates the boots in around the 1880s. The 1965 Box collection list also notes: ' the upper closed by machine'. According to June Swann, this practice would be normal from 1860 onwards. She also describes quilted silk as a trench silk and wool mixture, mainly silk, with raised pattern, (quilting) referred to as 'Matelasse'. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the use of this term from 1882-1892.

This pair of button boots or 'Matalesse boots', made as prize work in 1880, is part of the Museum's significant Joseph Box collection. It is thought to have been made for Princess Alexandra, Princess of Wales. Joseph Box Ltd had its origins in a London shoemaking business established in 1808 by a 'ladies shoemaker' called James Sly. From 1816 Sly's apprentice was Robert Dixon Box, the fifteen-year-old son of a bankrupted Quaker attorney. Box was to become manager of the business when Sly died in 1826, and gained a reputation for fine shoemaking through its participation at international exhibitions and by obtaining Royal Warrants. The business became known as Joseph Box Ltd in 1862 after it was transferred to Robert's son, Joseph. Like his father, Joseph started in the trade at the age of 15, but retired at the relatively early age of 42 to enable his daughters to enter society. Although he transferred the business to his cousins the Box Kinghams in 1882, Joseph maintained an active interest in shoemaking through collecting. At the end of the century the business was later taken over by royal shoemakers Gundry & Sons, which was itself taken over by John Lobb Ltd some time after 1953.

The collection acquired by the Museum in 1942 was probably started by Robert Dixon and consolidated by Joseph Box and the Box Kinghams during the second half of the 1800s. It includes remnants of leather shoes from the Middle Ages found in English archaeological sites, intact European shoes from the 1600s onwards, 'foreign' shoes collected as 'curiosities' from around the world, shoe buckles and spurs, as well as documents relating to Joseph Box Ltd.

Footwear scholar, June Swann, former Keeper of the Boot and Shoe Collection at the Northampton Museum in England was invited to catalogue this very significant collection in 1993. A large selection was subsequently featured in the Museum's 1997 exhibition and accompanying publication 'Stepping out: three centuries of shoes'.

REF:
Mitchell, Louise, with Lindie Ward, 'Stepping out: three centuries of shoes', Powerhouse Publishing, Sydney, 1997

Button boots, pair, womens, quilted silk / cork / leather / brass, made by Gundry & Sons, prize work, England, 1880

Pair of womens six button calf boots of rand construction with rounded square toes and covered Louis heels. Uppers consist of black patent closed tab 'shoe' with black quilted silk facing and leg featuring six pairs of worked button holes and buttons, inverted V wide grosgrain lace, zig zag lace holes and curvy top to leg. The 'shoe' features four rows of punching around scalloped edge. Upper is machine closed and lined in blue grosgrain silk, the sock not visible. Black leather heel features white stitching and brass nailed top piece. Sole features black kid over cork and leather, with platform tread, white forepart finish, tan waist, black edge and white fiddle finish breast.

Made: Gundry & Sons; London, England; 1880

Number on outsole, handwritten in red biro '519'

H4448-517

1880

49 mm