Slippers, Worn by Bertha Kuss on Her Wedding Day, 1889
THF158198 / Slippers, Worn by Bertha Kuss on Her Wedding Day, 1889
01
Artifact Overview
When Bertha Thelenius of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was planning her outfit for her October 1889 wedding to Charles Kuss, she purchased these slippers from Montgomery Ward & Company. In 1872, Montgomery Ward had launched what would become the first general mail order company in America. Customers like Bertha could choose from a wide selection of enticing goods offered in these catalogs.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Slippers (Shoes)
Date Made
1889
Subject Date
06 October 1889
Creators
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Sold by Montgomery Ward, Chicago, Illinois.
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
71.99.2
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Leather
Cardboard
Color
Black (Color)
Brown
Dimensions
Height: 3.25 in (shoes)
Width: 2.75 in (shoes)
Length: 8.625 in (shoes)
Height: 3.5 in (box)
Width: 5.375 in (box)
Length: 10 in (box)
Inscriptions
Side of box:
Montgomery Ward & Co. | Satisfaction Guaranteed or Your Money Back | 24-2582 | SIZE 11 1/2
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Artifacts
ArtifactWedding Portrait of Bertha and Charles Kuss of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 1889
Charles Kuss and Bertha Thelenius posed for a local photographer after their October 1889 wedding in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Bertha, the daughter of prosperous German immigrants, wore a gray silk surah dress with appliqued cut steel beading. Many 19th century brides did not wear a "traditional" white wedding dress. Often, they wore their best dress--which continued as their "best" as they settled into married life.