Summary

This hand-cut boot pattern has been created on brown paper and was most likely used by Stanio Fancoff for creating his various shoewares sometime during the 1930s-1970s. Formed within a basic square shape, this pattern's simple generic design was most likely used in conjunction with others in the making of various boot styles. Amongst many others, this pattern is part of the shoemaking designer kit that enabled Stanio Fancoff to acquire versatility and different fashions within his shoemaking trade.

Stanio Ivanoff Fancoff was born in 1908 in Bojentsi, a small village in Bulgaria. At age 11, Stanio left home to learn the shoemaking trade. In 1929, he immigrated to Melbourne, settled in Fitzroy and began to work for the V.G. Zemancheff & Sons basket shoe factory in South Melbourne. In1936, he married Dorotea Georgi Touzou who had recently arrived in Australia. Around this time, Stanio set up his own shoemaking business from home, with Georgi, her cousin and sister weaving the shoes which he then assembled. Select shoe samples were then taken to Sydney and Tasmania for sale. In 1942, Georgi and Stanio moved to Broken Hill for Georgi's health; there daughter Nancy was born and Stanio set up a shoe shop/factory. In 1945, Georgi died and by 1950 Stanio and Nancy had moved to Adelaide where he again opened a shoemaking business and shop. He passed away in 1978, having been in the shoemaking business for 59 years. This collection documents his migration and working life experiences.

Physical Description

Created on brown paper, this pattern piece is primarily square in shape with a small assymetrical shapely triangular section to the left. Running along the bottom shaped triangular line, inset approximately 15mm is a blue penned line, in which 8 needlepoint holes appear. On the triangular shape's upper portion both pencil and pen create the dual inset lines. The pattern's left hand edge exhibits a small pen line, while the patterns top line displays a closely shadowing pencil line. Centrally located within this pattern piece are the words "BOOT", "NO = 7 - 8"

Significance

This collection is significant in documenting a small migrant business as well as the fashion of a particular period. It is well provenanced and charts the application of trade skills in a new country. It also illustrates the stages of hand shoe manufacture from the 1930s, demonstrating the enduring nature of the tools and patterns that were used.

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