The packing department at Mason and Marson shoe factory, Stafford in 1906. Picture courtesy Staffordshire Past-Track, www.staffspasttrack.org.uk

Shoe book makes lasting impression

The history of Stafford's once thriving and now sadly disappeared shoe industry is captured in a new book entitled Lasting Impressions, to be launched next Monday.

This special event takes place at the Staffordshire Record Office in Stafford, is to celebrate the completion of Boots and Shoes, a joint community history project by The Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Archive Service and Staffordshire Arts and Museum Service, funded by MLA: West Midlands.

The project has been successful in collecting photographs, artefacts and archive material relating to the Stafford's shoe industry.

However the core of the project has been devoted to capturing reminiscences and memories from people actually involved in the shoe industry. This oral history has now been documented, preserved and made available through the publication of a new book "Lasting Impressions".

Chris Copp, Museums Officer, for Staffordshire Arts and Museum Service will talk about the project, followed by the official launch of "Lasting Impressions".

County Councillor Maureen Compton, Cabinet Support Member for Culture and Heritage said: "I would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this project so successful.  Many people have shared their memories of this industry with us, contributed artefacts, photographs, and more.  It is this generosity that has provided historians now and in the future with such an excellent resource with which to research the shoe industry in Stafford".

The new book is available from Staffordshire Record Office, Eastgate Street, Stafford and the Shire Hall Gallery Craft Shop, Market Square, Stafford, priced £5.

The book takes its title from lasts, the wooden mould on which shoes were traditionally made.

Page Last Modified: 30/01/2007 16:03:36

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