Object Details

Manufactured by

Windsor Shoe Company, American

Used by

Sammy Davis Jr., American, 1925 - 1990

Description

This pair of child's tap shoes were used by Sammy Davis Jr. when he travelled the vaudeville circuit as part of the Will Mastin Trio. The shoes have black leather uppers and close across the center front over a split vamp with a tongue using black cotton shoelaces tipped with plastic or leather aglets. The leather outsoles are machine stitched to the midsole and the uppers as in a welted shoe. Rubber heels are adhered to the soles. Stamped onto the bottom of the heels is a "W" inside of a shield with the word "WINDSOR" below the shield. Metal toe taps are nailed to the outsole and metal heel taps are nailed to the rubber heel. The heel taps have an open area in the middle so that the manufacturer's mark can be seen on the rubber heel bottom.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

Date

1938

Object number

2013.118.302ab

Restrictions & Rights

No Known Copyright Restrictions

Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

Type

shoes (footwear)

Medium

leather, rubber, cotton, and metal

Dimensions

H x W x D (Left (a) overall): 3 × 2 5/8 × 7 11/16 in. (7.6 × 6.7 × 19.5 cm)

H x W x D (Right (b) overall): 2 7/8 × 2 3/4 × 7 9/16 in. (7.3 × 7 × 19.2 cm)

Place used

United States, North and Central America

Place made

Littlestown, Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

A Cinema Apart: The Larry Richards Collection of Early Black Film

Classification

Clothing - Costume

Exhibition

Musical Crossroads

On View

NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American

Actors

Children

Clothing and dress

Tap dancing

Vaudeville

Metadata Usage

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd527a32527-c96e-4957-8c22-8c087a408c5f

Record ID

nmaahc_2013.118.302ab