Collecting: Vintage Shoe Last

There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes.

Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, meaning to rise early in the morning to his work. His conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd thing happening. He looked at the workmanship; there was not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that it was quite a masterpiece.

The excerpt above is from the well known tale 'The Elves and the Shoemaker' by the Brothers Grimm. It struck me that many of us are guilty of buying shoes, which appear in the shops as if by magic without thinking of the work that goes in to make them! 

I bought this wooden shoe last (from ‘laest’, meaning footprint in Old English) yesterday from a vintage and antiques fair in Ludlow. It was in a box of assorted random objects but as I walked up to the stall I was immediately taken with it and knew I would buy it. The wood is worn and well-used with an attractive leaf stamp design, probably signifying that it belonged to a particular maker. The shoe last itself is hinged so that it folds in half and there is a removable wooden peg. 

The last was used to measure out leather and it would have been sewn historically by women. The photographs below give an idea of how the leather would have been moulded around the wooden last. The hinge allowed shoemakers to remove the last from the leather.

 It is a very tactile object and I am planning to use it to display jewellery as I think it will act as an eye catching draw to my market stalls in the future.

Vintage Jewellery Making Set

The antiques market in the Jubilee Hall in Covent Garden is one of my favourite places to go on a Monday morning. It's got a fantastic array of jewellery, porcelain and the odd random knick knack all at very reasonable prices considering its central London location. I often find that there are those moments when you notice an item on a stall and are drawn towards it like a moth to the flame. The Monday just gone was one of those moments! A humble red wooden box holds a wonderful array of watchmakers and jewellers tools. Stone setting implements, gravers and punches. Some of the tools are a mystery to me but I knew enough about them to know that I had to have them!

The label on the front of the box reads Robert Pringle and Co. The company was formed in 1835. They ceased trading in 1965 so this is at least 47 years old!

Judging by the wear on the box, it has been well used although some of the tools are a little bit rusty. I wonder who used them in the past. Perhaps it was by an apprentice although the tools are so fine so they must have been used by someone with a steady hand and a lot of skill. I have used similar tools before so I can't wait to get to work on some silver with these!

Treasure Hunting...

Sometimes I wonder whether I was a pirate in a past life because (and I quote Captain Jack Sparrow) "I'm really obsessed with treasure!"

Recently I've been trying to expand my collection of vintage brooches by trawling vintage fairs looking for a particular maker, the mysterious 'BJL'. There are some personal reasons for why I love these brooches largely inspired by my Great Grandmother's collection of extremely sparkly costume brooches that used to captivate me as a child but I specifically love BJL because my Gran once found me an enamelled peacock brooch by BJL on a market stall years ago and I've always loved the tiny marcasite stones and the swirling green blue enamelling.

There's something about vintage jewellery that is very inspiring as a jewellery designer not least because it has survived the test of time and I wonder sometimes whether my designs will hold that magic for someone else in the future. Whether these brooches are desirable objects and are worth something in monetary value, to me it doesn't really matter because if I like something that much, I am going to keep it because selling it would leave me with that feeling of loss that everyone feels when they lose a treasured piece of jewellery with sentimental value. I almost feel that it is my responsibility to make sure that these little jewels survive another fifty years!

I do sell some of my vintage finds but I suspect that I will keep a hoard for myself as there is that element of a treasure seeker and collector to my personality that derives pleasure from finding something beautiful and using it as inspiration to attempt to create other beautiful things. Often times, a good story and a hint of mystery behind a piece of jewellery is worth as much as the piece itself!