The Honourable Cordwainers’ Company
is pleased to announce the
33rd Annual General Meeting
in cooperation with
The Mercer Museum
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
October 27-29, 2017
We are pleased to announce the Thirty-third Annual General Meeting of the Honourable Cordwainers' Company, in cooperation with The Mercer Museum. The conference provides opportunities to learn, and exchange knowledge on the history and practice of traditional shoemaking and allied trades.The
Mercer Museum is a history museum of everyday life in America during the 18th and 19th centuries. Henry Mercer (1856-1930) gathered the collection and constructed the Museum. The collection of some 40,000 objects documents the lives and tasks of early Americans through the tools that met their needs and wants prior to the Industrial Revolution, or about 1850. Visitors can choose their own paths through the Museum. Most of the 55 exhibit rooms and alcoves display the tools or products of an early American craft, trade or occupation.
The Mercer holds
one of the finest collections of shoemaking tools in the United States. Our meeting will include a guided tour of the collection, as well as opportunities for hands-on workshops.
SCHEDULED SPEAKERS TO DATE
Visit the HCC website at thehcc.org for updates at
http://thehcc.org/
Terry Burress,
The Slashed Shoe
“A Comparison of 20th Century Long Work (Tall Boot) Patterns – Part Deux: Back Seamed Patterns”
Examining more than a dozen historical and contemporary publications on boot patterns, including: Pattern Cutting Made Easy - Brophy, Thomas J. Jun. (1889);
Boot and Shoe Pattern Cutting and Clicking - Hasluck, Paul N.; Editor (1906);
Introduction to The Theory and Practice of Boot and Shoe Manufacture - Plucknett, Frank (1922);
Boot and Shoe Design and Manufacture - Swaysland, Edward J. C. (1926);
Boots and Shoes, There Making Manufacturing and Selling - Golding, F. Y.; Editor (1934);
Boot and Shoe Maker - Bordoli, Ernest; General Editor (1936, first printing 1935);
Textbook of Footwear Manufacture - Thornton, J. H.; Editor (1964, first printing 1953);
and other works.
Edward Maeder,
Costume & Textile Consultant, former Curator of Costumes and Textiles at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, founding director of the Bata Shoe Museum
WALK THIS WAY: Footwear from the Stuart Weitzman Collection of Historic Shoes, due out in 2018 by Dan Giles Press, London – Mr. Maeder will explore the process creating a cohesive and informative publication about Weitzman’s extensive and eclectic collection of shoes.
Shaun Pekar,
Independent Historic Shoemaker
“Another Man’s Treasure: Eastfield Village and The Shoemaking Collection of Don Carpentier”
From its inception in 1971, Historic Eastfield Village would grow to become the dream-realized of Don Carpentier, a self-taught renaissance man interested in historic preservation and historic trades. Carpentier would amass over the course of his life a collection of 30 historic structures (dating from the 1790’s to the 1850’s) as well as enough tools and antiques to fill most of those buildings to the rafters. Its only in the years subsequent to his passing in 2014 that an effort to catalog his collections has begun, and thus the true depth of his collections fully realized.
Rick Roman,
Romango Handmade Shoes
“How to Build a Fume Hood on a Budget and Why You Should”
I will present a plan to build a safe and effective fume hood complete with detailed plans and materials. In addition we will review common solvents encountered in shoemaking and their relative hazards.
Brett Walker,
Independent Scholar, Journeyman Shoemaker
“St. Crispin's Lance with Braddock & Forbes: British shoes, shoemaking, and shoe-repairing on two campaigns against Duquesne.”
Combining documentation about logistical difficulties of supplying the campaigns, with the archaeological data derived from the Fort Ligonier collection—the largest collection of mid-18thc British military footwear.
Rob Welch,
Apprentice Shoemaker, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
“‘Curious black Ball’: Shoe Care and Cleaning in the 18th Century.”
From the commercially produced blacking cakes and balls purchased by the well to do; to the homemade waterproofing used by farmers and fishermen, the care of shoes was a universal concern. Drawing on surviving recipes and other primary sources, along with experimental archeology, this presentation will explore the methods used to condition and protect shoes and boots in the 18th century.
And, we are hoping that local PA shoemaker extraordinaire
Perry Ercolino will have returned from Italy in time to join us.
We will also enjoy a guided tour of the Mercer Museum’s extensive collection of shoemaking tools – one of the finest collections in the United States.
CALL FOR PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS
The theme of the program is “
Tools of the Trade: Extensions of the Hands”. Presenters may cover a wide range of topics based on their area of expertise, and program elements will be combined to highlight how traditional techniques of the trade – and the tools used to practice them – are evident in the styles, materials and manufacture of historical and modern footwear. We look forward to receiving your proposal and hope you will be able to join us in Doylestown in October.
Yours Sincerely,
Al Saguto, (
dasaguto@widomaker.com)
Marc Carlson, (
marc-carlson@utulsa.edu)
HCC Presentations Coordinators
HOTEL AND TRAVEL
A block of rooms has been reserved - reservations must be made by Oct. 6 to guarantee the group rate, and rooms are available on a first come/first served basis.
Hampton Inn & Suites Philadelphia Montgomeryville
121 Garden Golf Boulevard
North Wales, PA 19454-1495
P: 215-412-8255 FAX: 215-412-8022
www. montgomeryvillesuites.hamptoninn.com
$119 + tax
Please ask for The Honourable Cordwainers’ Company group to ensure that you receive the group rate reservation.
Numerous nearby airports include Venango Regional Airport; Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport; Trenton Mercer Airport, Ewing; Princeton Airport, Princeton; Newark Liberty International Airport; Philadelphia International Airport
PRE-EVENT REGISTRATION
Please fill out the Pre-Event Registration Form available on the Our Annual Meeting Page of this website. For those pre-registering, registration fees are $30.00 for members and $15.00 for spouses, $10 for students. Registration at the door, for those who have not RSVP'd, will be $40/$20 for spouses.