Boots
Unknown Artist
ca. 1875
Medium
Leather
Classification
Boots
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Sarah Bergen Pierce, 1944
Accession Number
2009.300.4415a, b
Art Historical Context
These leather boots, crafted by an unknown American artist around 1875, invite us into the everyday elegance of post-Civil War America. During this Gilded Age era, footwear like these became both practical necessities and subtle status symbols, reflecting the nation's rapid industrialization and expanding urban life. Women increasingly ventured into public spaces, and sturdy yet stylish boots supported this shift, often featuring innovative closures like buttons or laces for a refined fit. Made from leather—a versatile, durable medium prized for its moldability and weather resistance—these bo...