Shoes in Miniature

The Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection

Pink Porcelain Bootie #032

This is a delicate porcelain shoe of very good quality, very light and very strong in a matte pink.  Open  eyelets and nice detail are features of this little bootie.

Porcelain Baby Bootie

The shoe measures 3 3/8″ in length, 1 3/4″ in height, and 1 7/16″ in width.  There is a pink porcelain rose and green leaves affixed to the toe.  There are no chips, cracks or crazing.

Porcelain Baby Bootie

There is a pink porcelain rose and green leaves affixed to the toe.

Porcelain Baby Bootie

The bottom of the shoe has no manufacturing marks, but has information regarding acquisition to the Lillian P Wood Memorial Collection.  It was given to Lillian P Wood in July of 1956 by family.  It was purchased in Park Rapids, Minnesota, a resort town on the MN/ND border.

December 19, 2007 Posted by Bo | Baby Booties or Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, antique shoes, collections, shoe collections | , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Comparison of Three Art Pottery Baby Shoes #033, #034, #035

Three Bootie

December 19, 2007 Posted by Bo | Baby Booties or Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, art pottery, collections, shoe collections | , , , , , , | 1 Comment

White Art Pottery Baby Shoe #035

This is an art pottery baby bootie made in the typical fashion of a pottery which makes figurals and shoes as part of its line. It has better detail than most, especially in the heel area, and it has a thicker, more satiny glaze. The toe of the underside of the shoe has also been glazed. It has been detailed with an aqua glaze for shoe laces.

white art pottery baby shoe

It is in very good condition with no cracks, chips or crazing. There does appear to be a very small area on the back edge of the rim which took less glaze than the rest of the shoe, but it is completely glazed over.

White Art Pottery Baby Shoe #037

The bootie measures 4 1/2″ long, 3″ high and 2 1/8″ wide. There are no pottery markings or identification of the manufacturer on any part of the shoes.

White Art Pottery Baby Shoe #037

The shoe does have handwritten pencil markings which read “10/ANO/35.” The Wood family vacationed in San Antonio, Texas in August of 1935, visiting Aletha and Paul Gordon, Lillian’s ex-boss from Quincy, and crossed the border into Mexico for shopping. They purchased this shoe at that time. 10 probably refers to the price in pesos.  Estimated value of the baby bootie is $20 to $25.

Information for the history of pottery and shoes was found in the book, Collectible Glass Shoes by Earlene Wheatley, published by Schroeder Publishing, 2001. Other information was recorded from a personal interview with BJ.

December 18, 2007 Posted by Bo | Baby Booties or Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, antique shoes, art pottery, collections, shoe collections | , , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Blue Art Pottery Baby Shoe #034

A solid piece of American Pottery, and very typical. Nearly all United States potteries that made novelties had a baby shoe in their catalogs or showrooms.

Blue Art Pottery Baby Shoe

Some of this pottery does not clean well, especially the inside when it’s been a plant container. There is a 1/2″ light brown stain on the interior rim, though the rest of the inside of the bootie is clean. It has two protuberances on the inside sole of the shoe approximately 3/8″ high.

Blue Art Pottery Baby Shoe

The shoe, except for the rim stain is in good condition with no crazing, cracks or chips. Glaze is evenly distributed. It is circa 1950s.

Blue Art Pottery Baby Shoe bottom

Proof that it’s from the U.S.A. Stamped clearly in the center on the shoe in BIG letters. It is somewhat unusual in that it has a raised sole. Most booties of this type are flat and unglazed.  Estimated value is $15 to $20.

Information regarding ceramic figurals and shoes was found in Collectible Glass Shoes by Earlene Wheatley, published by Schroeder Publishing, 2001. Other information was obtained from personal papers and records of BP.

December 18, 2007 Posted by Bo | Baby Booties or Shoes, Lillian P. Wood Memorial Collection, Miniature Shoes, Miniature Shoes Collection, Vintage Miniature Shoes, antique shoes, art pottery, collections, shoe collections | , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet