Last, Shoe
Object number2007.39.1
Date1875-1899
MediumWood; various metals
Credit LineGift of the descendants of Michael Schmidt
DescriptionBrown wooden shoe last for left foot. Metal clamp on top of last, above heel; hole down middle of clamp to wood. Opened hole horizontally through heel. Entire bottom lined with thin metal plate; round nails attach plate to bottom. Three small, shallow holes in middle of plate.Dimensions2.5 x 3 x 9.5 in. (6.4 x 7.6 x 24.1 cm)Historical NotesShoe last was used by Michael Schmidt, a cobbler who owned a shoe shop in Mt. Oliver. Because he was a cobbler in both Austria and Pittsburgh, the origin of these tools is unknown. Born on November 2, 1848, in Austria, Michael moved to America with his family in 1883. They first lived in Bloomfield, where he walked across a railroad bridge to a shoe factory in Mt. Oliver. After nearly being killed by a train, Michael and his family moved to Mt. Oliver, where he opened his own store on the corner of Amanda Avenue and Charles Street. The Schmidt Store remained in business until Michael's death in 1904.
Related person
Michael Schmidt
(1848 - 1904)
On View
Not on view
1875-1899
1875-1899
The Orvis Company, Inc.
c. 1930
1940-1949
1960s
