Last month, our curatorial team participated in the global event, #AskaCurator. In case you missed it, here’s our Creative Director & Senior Curator, Elizabeth, answering some of your questions. As John Fluevog is celebrating his 50th anniversary this year, what would you say his impact has been on Canadian and global shoe design? John Fluevog’s […]
Ask A Curator with Nishi
Last month, our curatorial team participated in the global event, #AskaCurator. In case you missed it, here’s our Exhibitions Manager and Assistant Curator, Nishi, answering some of your questions. How have you done your job during the pandemic? Thankfully, much of my job can be done in front of a computer, so I was able […]
From the Vault: Nalin shoes
Take a peek into our 14,000+ collection with our new 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? These 19th century Ottoman bathhouse clogs called nalin were donated to the museum by […]
From the Vault: 18th century English shoes
Take a peek into our 14,000+ collection with our new blog series, From the Vault! Every 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 shoes dates to the early 18th century, likely 1725-40. They are possibly […]
Creating “The Great Divide”: Insight into the artefact selection process
Our Senior Curator, Elizabeth, has always said that curating is an exercise in restriction. We might have many artefacts to choose from when putting an exhibition together, but we are constrained by the physical space of the gallery, a desire not to overwhelm visitors with too many shoes, and with the goal to tell a […]
Q&A with BSM’s Curatorial Team
Get the inside scoop on how the BSM curatorial team put together The Great Divide: Footwear in the Age of Enlightenment. From the research process and choosing artefacts to exhibition design and acquiring loans! 1) How long is the planning process for an exhibition? The planning process for an exhibition can take between 1-3 years, […]
Care in Handling: Transporting Artefacts Around the World
It is a topic that you do not hear about in the public sphere, but one that museums around the world invest in each time they move art objects for the purposes of sharing with other museums. Let me walk you through the process; it is behind-the-scenes work that you might not have imagined. WANT: […]
Uncomfortable Histories: Leopold II’s Footwear
At the museum, most of our visitors are often delighted to see baby shoes on display because of their adorably diminutive size and because they function as reminders of the innocence of youth. However, this specific pair has a deeply problematic provenance. These shoes belonged to Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor who became Leopold II, […]
Footwear and the Imperial Project
One of the most striking artefacts in the Bata Shoe Museum collection is this pair of 18th century women’s shoes. Their silhouette is European in style, but the upper is Indian-made. At first glance, these shoes seem to serve as examples of cultural exchange; a blending of Indian and European styles to create a beautiful […]