Shoe

Pair of woman's shoes from the 1760s. Upper and heel covered in faded blue green satin, decorated with silver lace and spangles. The shoes have labels bearing the name of the maker, a Francis Poole of the Old Change near Cheapside, London. This is highly unusual for shoes of this period; maker labels became more common from the 1790s onwards. Each shoes is also inscribed in ink inside 'Miss Ellis Blue Satten'.

The Cheapside area in the 18th century was filled with luxury manufacturers - shops and businesses making and selling women's clothing and accessories. Items including clothing, jewellery, fans, prints, trunks, furniture and shoes could be purchased. Many women were employed in these trades, with some running their own businesses.

These shoes were collected by the artist Edwin Austin Abbey, as part of his large collection of historical garments used as props in his paintings. The collection was donated to the London Museum by his widow, Mary Gertrude Abbey (née Mead) in 1914, as part of her wider work to secure her husband's legacy. The artist Seymour Lucas, who had donated his own costume collection three years earlier, was involved in pursuading Mrs Abbey to give the collection to the London Museum.