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Pair of stars and stripes slippers attributed to Elizabeth Keckley

Object Details

Description
A pair of men's boudoir slippers in a stars and stripes design attributed to Elizabeth Keckly (sometimes spelled Keckley). The slippers were likely commissioned by Mrs. Gideon Welles to be presented to her husband, Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy under President Lincoln. The slippers are crocheted in stripes of red and white from the toe to the heel. Across the top of the vamp is a blue band embroidered with scattered white stars. The throat of the slippers is edged in a twisted blue and red cord. The slippers have a flat, leather sole and a squarish toe.
Date
ca. 1865
Attributed to
Elizabeth Keckly, American, 1818 - 1907
Owned by
Gideon Welles, American, 1802 - 1878
Place made
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Business
Clothing and dress
Craftsmanship
Free communities of color
Politics
Slavery
U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2018.35.2.1ab
Type
slippers
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
fiber , leather and thread
Dimensions
L x W: 10 1/4 × 3 in. (26 × 7.6 cm)
Record ID
nmaahc_2018.35.2.1ab
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd524340fb0-0fd6-43e0-8608-eca7c9b11a26
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International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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