Child's Button Shoes, ca. 1912

These shoes were worn by the donor, Nathalie E. Briggs (1912-2004), who headed the URI Library’s Catalog Department for thirteen years. She graduated from URI, then known as Rhode Island State College, in 1933 after starring in basketball, softball, track, and tennis.

The shoes are sized for a 9-12 month-old infant. Style wise, they imitate shoes with spatterdashes that were popular for both men and women during the 1910s. The lower section is made of black patent leather while the upper is white kid. The shoes close with half-round glass buttons that have shanks. These shoes have a right and left as indicated by the differentiated shape of the soles.