Shoemakers and Cordwainers

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Shoemakers and Cordwainers

Henry Blanck and his grandfather, Johann Christian Wenzel were shoemakers from Germany. See Henry Blanck

John Sykes and his sons, Benjamin, George, and Joseph, were cordwainers (shoemakers) in England. In 1841, when George Stell Sykes was 15, the town he lived in, Adwalton, had a population of 1028 people. There were 14 shoemakers and 4 shoemakers apprentices. See John Sykes


Collection of Maggie Land Blanck

Formier, Outils [Last maker, tools]

A last is a form of the human foot used by shoemakers to shape shoes and boots.


Shoemakers

1845 German Print

Collection of Maggie Land Blanck


Collection of Maggie Land Blanck

THE OLD-TIME SHOEMAKER


Collection of Maggie Land Blanck

A HOPELESS CASE

From a painting by Antoine Rotta in the Walter's Collection Baltimore


Cordwainer Shop, Munson House Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell, Indiana
Postcard collection of Maggie Land Blanck


Shoemaker's Shop

Freilichtmuseum am Kiekeberg

Photo collection of Maggie Land Blanck


Shoemaker's tools

The Trade Musuem of Suhlendorf

Photo collection of Maggie Land Blanck


Postmarked Hulst Germany 1903
Postcard collection of Maggie Land Blanck


Collection of Maggie Land Blanck, circa 1900 England

Collection of Maggie Land Blanck, Grandma and Grandpa LeFever (or Fener) written in pen on back

Collection of Maggie Land Blanck

This 1954 ad for Dress Parade boot polish shows that the shoemaker's trade had not changed that much over the years.

The ad makes two interesting points in reference to the old time shoemaker: "Time doesn't mean much to a boot-maker. They'll rub leather for hours and hours to give it that fiery, deep glow." & Dress Parade could give your shoes "that expensive hand-rubbed look".


If you have any suggestions, corrections, information, copies of documents, or photos that you would like to share with this page, please contact me at maggie@maggieblanck.com

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If you wish to use any of the images or information on this page please feel free to do so provided that you give proper acknowledgement to this web site and include the same acknowledgments that I have made to the provenience of the image or information. Thanks, Maggie

Copyright by Maggie Land Blanck - This page was created in 2004 - Latest update, January 2011