Help with a pair of vintage shoes/boots by Joseph Box

waring192

waring192

Registered Guest
Hello!

Could someone give me a rough value and some information on a pair of Joseph Box shoes/boots, they look very old and vintage, the only info I could find is that they are found in museums around the world and dated between early 1800's and 1920's. Does anyone happen to know anything else?

Many thanks

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Joseph Box was a quality shoemaker on a par with John Lobb, but for women's shoes. There is a large collection of his footwear at the Powerhouse museum in Sydney, Australia (there is a story why they ended up there - it had something to do with protecting the company's archive collection during the war if I recall...) So yes, you have an important pair of boots there that belong in a museum collection. Your pair dates from c. 1917 - 1920. Value I can't help you with because we don't evaluate items here at the VFG, but keep in mind these don't have wearability on their side, they would be ruined in one wearing, so they are only going to appeal to museums and collectors - that limits your audience, but I would suggest you go the route of an auction house rather than an online sales venue if you want to sell. You may actually do even better by donating them to a museum for a tax receipt you can use to write off against income. I know I would want them for the FHM...
 
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Jonathan said:
Joseph Box was a quality shoemaker on a par with John Lobb, but for women's shoes. There is a large collection of his footwear at the Powerhouse museum in Sydney, Australia (there is a story why they ended up there - it had something to do with protecting the company's archive collection during the war if I recall...) So yes, you have an important pair of boots there that belong in a museum collection. Your pair dates from c. 1917 - 1920. Value I can't help you with because we don't evaluate items here at the VFG, but keep in mind these don't have wearability on their side, they would be ruined in one wearing, so they are only going to appeal to museums and collectors - that limits your audience, but I would suggest you go the route of an auction house rather than an online sales venue if you want to sell. You may actually do even better by donating them to a museum for a tax receipt you can use to write off against income. I know I would want them for the FHM...
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Thank you very much for you information. I do intend for myself to part from them as Im sure someone else would appreciate them much more than myself.

Couple of questions/comments:

  1. I'm interested about the moving of them to Australia, could you find me a link regarding the protecting them during the war. I was aware about them being in the Powerhouse Museum and I did contact them but they didn't seem interested at all, was like a generic email response.
  2. I sent a email to the V & A Museum in London so awaiting a reply.
  3. With regards to: 'donating them to a museum for a tax receipt you can use to write off against income' does that work in the UK and is it only income tax that it can be written off? What about inheritance tax?
  4. What is the FHM?
Many thanks
 
I can't help you with how tax receipts work in the UK, I am only familiar with how it works in Canada/U.S. (The FHM is the Fashion History Museum - I am the curator of it here in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)

I can't remember the full story about the Joseph Box collection. I heard it from June Swann, who was the former keeper (curator) of the Northampton Shoe Museum. The collection included historic footwear, as well as a corporate collection of Joseph Box's work. Either the company was bought out or sold, or something like that, and in 1940 it was moved to Australia by the new owners, and I recall it had something to do with protecting it from wartime destruction, or that was the excuse given at the time... sorry, don't remember the details. The Powerhouse museum would know the story but they may not want to share it. June would remember it - she's still around!
 
Jonathan said:
I can't help you with how tax receipts work in the UK, I am only familiar with how it works in Canada/U.S. (The FHM is the Fashion History Museum - I am the curator of it here in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada)

I can't remember the full story about the Joseph Box collection. I heard it from June Swann, who was the former keeper (curator) of the Northampton Shoe Museum. The collection included historic footwear, as well as a corporate collection of Joseph Box's work. Either the company was bought out or sold, or something like that, and in 1940 it was moved to Australia by the new owners, and I recall it had something to do with protecting it from wartime destruction, or that was the excuse given at the time... sorry, don't remember the details. The Powerhouse museum would know the story but they may not want to share it. June would remember it - she's still around!
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Thank you!

I had done some research before and her name cropped up. In fact, my girlfriend's dad (lives near Northampton and is a archaeologist) knows her and is getting her contact details for me. Glad to hear she is still around as I've been told she must be of some age now. I think she has a assistant who deals with things for her now.

I have yet to hear from anyone from the V/A or Powerhouse Museum so it sounds like getting in contact with June Swann is the way forward.

Would there be any benefits of me having them on display in the FHM? Sorry if that sounds rude. I did have a look into tax regarding donations and found this:

The British Museum is very grateful to those who donate objects to its collection and under the UK’s Cultural Gifts Scheme, tax reduction is available for income tax, capital gains or corporation tax liabilities when donating an object to the British Museum.
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June Swann is one of those people who has looked the same age for thirty years. When I first met her in 1988 I thought she was 70 then... so I have no idea how old she is, but she must be in her 80s now. I last saw her in 2015 and she looked the same as always! As much as I would love to have them for the FHM, as you are in the UK its best to donate them directly to a museum there. I am sure the Victoria & Albert in London or the Fashion Museum in Bath would both want them. If you tell them Jonathan Walford from the Fashion History Museum in Canada was ogling them - they will definitely want them!
 
Sorry, I forgot to add. What would be
Jonathan said:
June Swann is one of those people who has looked the same age for thirty years. When I first met her in 1988 I thought she was 70 then... so I have no idea how old she is, but she must be in her 80s now. I last saw her in 2015 and she looked the same as always! As much as I would love to have them for the FHM, as you are in the UK its best to donate them directly to a museum there. I am sure the Victoria & Albert in London or the Fashion Museum in Bath would both want them. If you tell them Jonathan Walford from the Fashion History Museum in Canada was ogling them - they will definitely want them!
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Haha, hopefully she can point me in the right direction! Any ideas how my mother ended up with them?! They have been tucked away in her many piles of Vintage clothes etc and where hidden right at the bottom.

I will mention your name! Do you have any direct contacts with people at either museum? Also, I looked at the tax aspect, it can be used against capital gains which is good for my Grandma and myself as we are in the process of selling one of our properties at the moment. What would the estimate value of the boots (are they boots or shoes?!) be for a tax receipt?
 
I can't help you with a value - you would need to have them professionally assessed and you have to pay a professional for that - try Kerry Taylor in London. If you donate them, the museum will usually do the evaluation and you don't have to pay for it but they won't tell you the value until after you have donated them. Not sure who is in charge of intaking offers at either museum...
 
I too have a lovely pair of old Joseph Box shoes. I offered them to the V&A via the channels mentioned in a previous post. After a long delay they declined them due lack of space. Surprising as they seem to only have a pair of boots by Box. I have contacted the Powerhouse in Australia and they are very keen. But it seems a shame that they should go from the UK. I am also interested to get a valuation. Any ideas ?
 

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