Shoes - The Agony and the Ecstacy

Bootees, 1910s

Cotton and silk

This item is on display in the function section of the exhibition.

Soft fabrics like cotton and silk were used to make shoes for very young babies. Mothers often keep a baby's first shoe for sentimental reasons. No matter how worn or battered these tiny shoes are, they are a constant reminder of the vulnerability of the newborn. Queen Victoria went a step further, and had all her babies' feet copied in marble.

TWCMS: H16981