I like to put interesting vintage fashion items on the VFG Instagram account and I thought these shoes fit the bill.... But - I wonder if the information is accurate. The design almost looks like a Keith Harding print! The post with the image was on Facebook and was identified as follows: 1914-Printed silk wool grosgrain Wiener Werkstätte dress shoes (from the collection of Wein Museum) There is a Wien Museum in Vienna that has a wonderful collection of shoes, but I don't find these shoes there. Am I scratching my head just because they are in such terrific condition? I've never seen anything like this for that date. Then again, I don't know much about antique shoes. @Jonathan
I think these are the ones in the Albertina Museum in Vienna (Wien). The caption is that they are the evening shoes of Edith Schiele, the wife of the artist Egon Schiele. Photo appears to be of a different angle than this one: https://www.facebook.com/AlbertinaM...schuhe-1912-albertina-wien/10154434836397951/ Unless there are multiple pairs of these shoes out there.
That was an exhibition at the Albertina where the shoes were shown, but it makes more sense that they would be part of the collection of the Wien Museum - they have a huge fashion collection (to which I donated two 1940s dresses last year). The Albertina's collection is based on drawings, paintings, prints and the like. I've been looking through Wien Museum's online collection, but no luck so far. I didn't know about Wiener Werkstätte also producing shoes, but looking at the photo, they look to me like they could be something they made.
Definitely the same shoes. They are not in the Wiener Werkstätte book I have - although there is a section on fashion; the focus is not on fashion. I was not familiar with this movement until I visited the Neue Gallerie in NYC shortly after it opened in 2001 and was blown away! (Bought the book there.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neue_Galerie_New_York
They were included in the Egon Schiele exhibition at The Albertina. They are the last image in the slideshow of 28 images on this page: https://www.albertina.at/en/exhibitions/egon-schiele/ It's confusing because the caption seems to indicate that they are in the collection of The Albertina : Wiener Werkstätte: Edith Schiele’s evening shoes, 1912 Printed silk and Russell cord, laced closure with black silk laces, black metal eyes, medium-height heels, leather soles (Wiener Werkstätte, print design: “Osterglocken” [Easter Bells] (1910/12) The Albertina Museum, Vienna) However, I just checked the catalogue from the Vienna 1900 exhibition that was at the Museum of Modern Art, NY, in 1986 and the shoes are pictured in there! Along with another pair of shoes with a different Wiener Werkstatte print. The caption reads: Designer Unknown, Two Pairs of Ladies' Shoes, c. 1914, silk and leather, Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien.
Maybe the Osterglocken shoes changed "hands" between 1986 when they were on display at MOMA, and the time you saw them at The Albertina - or maybe one of the catalogues is wrong and they were on loan from one museum or the other.
Well. As usual, knocked out by the knowledge shared here. Jo, Linn and Karin, thank you. Jo - If I had seen the Albertina Museum image first, I would not have questioned the age. In the photo I found, they gussied up the shoes with new laces and it as hard to see the original shoe form.
The Historisches Museum der Stadt Wien or the history museum of the city of Vienna was renamed "Wien Museum" in 2002 . The Wien Museum is all about the history of the city and nowadays consists of several sites, though to me (and probably most people) the name stands mostly for the actual museum in the building on Karlsplatz, where it has been since 1959 (an interesting building by the way - very 1950s!). So the shoes would have been in the same collection already when they were shown in New York, it's just that the museum's name has changed. Not sure why the shoes don't show up in the online collection, but from what I know, they have so much, maybe you can't see everything online. This is one of my favourite museums in Vienna by the way and the one I have visited the most over the years. Their exhibitions are always excellent. I've seen one on 19th century fashion there and a lot of different ones on social history themes. They always manage to find an "unusual" subject, and that's nerd catnip for me . Have been to the Albertina only once, as unfortunately it always is super busy under normal circumstances - it's right smack in the city centre, the collection is world-class and so are their special exhibitions. Big names only... not that that's bad, but one would love to visit without the crowds...
Amanda @amandainvermont I just stumbled over this - see https://www.instagram.com/guermantes.vintage/ - guermantes.vintage on Instagram. There are more images in the post. Different shoes, same design! She donated them to the MAK Museum in Vienna - the museum of applied arts. I looked through their online collection, but could only find another, later pair of shoes by Wiener Werkstätte (though there were also a lot of copyright protected images that didn't show).
