Bench, Shoemaker's

Object Name:

Bench, Shoemaker's

Object ID:

1977.055.01.001

Place of Origin:

Dover, NH

Date:

1888-1914

Description:

Shoemaker's Bench. Blue painted pine. Included 117 shoemaker's tools and related items in the drawers (all removed from drawers and stored separately). Ten bins and five small drawers on top. Five large drawers on front. One drawer on bottom left side.

Material:

Wood

Dimensions:

H-47 W-50 D-25 inches

Provenance:

Acquired in the vicinity of Durham, NH, by the collector James Cowan Sawyer (1872-1944).
A shoe sole pattern (1977.055.01.096) bears the names Wiggin & Newhall who are listed in the 1895 Dover City Directory as boot and shoemakers. They were successors to Smith & Wiggin (1892-93 Dover City Directory), who were in turn successors of Walton R. Shaw (1890-91 and 1892-93 Dover City Directories). Wiggin was later in partnership with Dudley L. Furber who made shoes until 1914. Several shoe sole patterns (1977.055.11.095-098) bear the initials H.G., possibly referring to Henry Glidden of Glidden & Bennett, boot and shoe manufacturers listed in the Dover City directories for 1888-1893.

Credit Line:

James Cowan Sawyer Collection, Gift of George F. Sawyer and Charles H. Sawyer

People:

Bennett, Ellery I. (1850-1917), Furber, Dudley L. (1848-1914), Glidden, Henry P. (1833-1916), Newhall, Frank L. (1868-1949), Smith, Nelson H. (1864-19 ? ), Wiggin, Charles F. (1868-1931), Sawyer, James Cowan (1872-1944), Sawyer, George F. (1902-1992), Sawyer, Charles H. (1906-2005)

Subjects:

Shoemakers, Shoemaking, Benches