„Every step leaves a trace”. Historic footwear from the collection of Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk.
12 January – 7 May 2017
Exhibition curator: mgr Kateriny Zisopulu-Bleja
Place: Górka Palace, ul. Wodna 27, 61-781 Poznań
The exhibition held currently in the Poznań Archaeological Museum has arrived from the Museum of Archaeology in Gdańsk. The Museum in Gdańsk for over 30 years has conducted archaeological excavations within the historical part of Gdańsk. As a result of this work, each year thousands of movable artifacts arrive to the Museum’s storage facilities, including the ones made of leather. Local depositional conditions contribute to the excellent state of preservation of this type of product. Nearly 90% of the leather artefacts are shoes and waste from footwear production. Due to a complex conservation and reconstruction programme for historic footwear implemented for over 15 years by the Museum, it was possible to gather a unique collection of shoes in Europe and the largest in Poland, which reflects the changes in the shoemaker craft and European fashion during last 600 years.
Did lovers confess love using shoes? How did people walk along streets full of snow? What were heels invented for? Who were horseshoes or crampons used by? Why were shoes given funny names like cowmouth shoe or bear shoe?
You will find answers to the above questions, and much more, on the exhibition „Every step leaves a trace”. Historic footwear from the collection of Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk.
The exhibition also presents:
- over 130 artifacts related to the history of footwear, including 70 shoes
- reconstruction of a 15th century shoemaker’s workshop
- the arcana of historic shoes restoration
- a film showing why many shoes survived intact underground
