Pumps
Unknown Artist
late 1880s
Medium
leather
Classification
Pumps
Culture
American
Department
Costume Institute
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Miss Hannah McAllister, 1947
Accession Number
C.I.47.24a, b
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of late 19th-century American fashion with *Pumps*, a pair of leather shoes from the 1880s crafted by an unknown artist.oused in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, these delicate footwear pieces exemplify the refined craftsmanship of the Victorian era, when women's shoes transitioned from heavy boots to more graceful, low-heeled pumps suitable for everyday elegance and social occasions. Made entirely of leather—a durable and versatile medium prized for its suppleness and ability to be intricately shaped—these pumps reflect the growing sophisticatio...