By Conservator Ada Hopkins Sometimes there isn’t enough time to perform a compete treatment on an object and the resulting work I refer to fondly as ‘guerilla conservation’. It is done quickly, with minimal materials, but conservation intervention is adequate for the purpose; in this case displaying a dress on a mannequin. For The Roaring […]
Upon Arrival: Cataloguing New Acquisitions
These carriage boots are a recent acquisition to the Bata Shoe Museum’s collection. They were worn in the early 20th century by Clara Fairbank-Ranney in Petrolia, Ontario, and were donated by her family. Hope everyone had a lovely holiday season! I’m writing this blog post in December 2020 and want to share a bit of […]
From the Vault: Keds Champion sneakers
Take a peek into our 14,000+ collection with our blog series, From the Vault! Every other week, we’re sharing interesting stories about one of our artefacts. What is the provenance of this pair? When did they enter the BSM collection? This pair of Keds sneakers date to 1916, the first year of Keds’ Champion line. […]
Travels to the Czech Republic: Part II
After spending 3 nights in Zlin it was time to travel to my next destination – the Egon Schiele Art Centrum (ESAC) in Český Krumlov. This part of the journey involved 3 buses: Zlin to Brno, Brno to Český Budějovice, then on to Krumlov. With all the transfer points it ended up being a 7-hour […]
Providing Warmth and Protection
The Bata Shoe Museum’s collection of footwear worn by the cultures living in the world’s circumpolar region is the largest comprehensive collection in existence. These shoes and boots are made to withstand some of the harshest climates that humans can endure. Whether they are made from seal, caribou, or fish, they can provide the warmth […]
From the Vault: Yup’ik socks
Take a peek into our 14,000+ collection with our blog series, From the Vault! Every other week, we’re sharing interesting stories about one of our artefacts. What is the provenance of this pair? When did they enter the BSM collection? This is a pair of Yup’ik socks from Alaska. It was acquired from the Richard […]
Walking Through Winter
By Creative Director & Senior Curator Elizabeth Semmelhack This winter has been one full of more than the average amount of ice and snow here in Toronto. However, difficult winters are nothing new. Indeed snow is a perennial challenge across the globe and navigating through it has been dealt with in ingenious ways by different […]
Spotlight on Conservation: Gutskin Parka (Part 2)
Mounting the gutskin parka for the Arctic exhibition required some creativity. It is so light and translucent and we wanted to impart these features to museum guests. Putting the parka on a mannequin wouldn’t be suitable since the intestine when dry is brittle, making for a very stiff form. We decided to use an acrylic […]
Travels to the Czech Republic: Part I
Since we’re all stuck at home these days, I thought I’d jump into the way-back machine and visit 2011. I have been incredibly fortunate to be able to travel with work, whether it takes me to an international conference or somewhere new to install a traveling exhibition. In April 2011, I went to the Czech […]
Spotlight on Conservation: Gutskin Parka (Part I)
Unrolled parka While it might not look like it at first glance, this rolled up bundle is a parka made and worn by Irene Davis of Nunivik Island, Alaska. The parka was slated for display in our Arctic-themed exhibition Art and Innovation but in order to assess its condition for display the parka had to […]