Summary

This hand-made heel strap pattern is generated from a thin purple coloured paper and was probably used by Stanio Fancoff in the creating of his various shoe styles sometime between the 1930s and 1970s. Considering the large dimensions and breadth of this heel strap, this pattern was most likely used for the making of male shoes. Amongst many others, this pattern is part of the shoemaking designer kit that enabled Stanio 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

Hand made from a thin purple paper, this heel strap pattern resembles two 'Y' shapes joined at the vertical lines base and placed sideways. While exhibiting a symmetrical double Y format, the lower portion is arched (to accommodate for a person's heel), the upper portions have been thinned for possible strapping purposes. At the pattern's centre, the piece exhibits a crease line and on the reverse side an additional square patch has been added. Although this pattern appears in good condition, it exhibits several crease such as the central fold and creases within the large strap pattern portions.

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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