Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (1774-1821) was a Catholic sister and founder of Saint Joseph’s Academy and Free School, the first Catholic girls’ school in America, Emmitsburg, MD, 1810. She dedicated her life to the care of children, the poor, and her school. In 1975 she was the first American canonized as a saint.
Mother Seton is instantly identifiable in her iconic 18th c black linen bonnet, which CFT also conserved for short term display. A facsimile will replace the original for permanent exhibition. Portraits of Elizabeth and William Seton, late 1700’s.
Mother Seton was born in NYC to a wealthy Episcopalian family. Married at the age of 19 to William Seton, they had 5 children. After his young death in Livorno Italy, she converted to Catholicism.
In 2023 CFT conserved several of Mother Seton’s personal pieces of clothing, carefully saved for over 200 years. Among them were her famous bonnet, a silk woven shawl, satin slippers, and a christening dress. It was deeply moving to be in entrusted with the conservation of these ‘relics’ of this American saint.
On view at the new museum, Mother Seton’s silk shawl and bonnet; dancing slippers, and her children’s christening dress. Curious young visitors, photo courtesy of Seton Shrine.
Two pair of rare 18th c slippers, in the collection of the Daughters of Charity, chronicle Mother Seton’s early life, and are a view into her socially prominent married life in NYC, where she wore these to balls and festivities. Apparently, she loved to dance, considered it good exercise, and kept her slippers her whole life. They are now on view in a new exhibition at the Seton Shrine Museum and Visitor Center. The new center tells her life story through many rare surviving artifacts, connecting her young life to that of a sister, accomplished educator, and devout Catholic.
Her sharply pointed-toe slippers have a lustrous cream-colored silk satin outer cloth, with an embroidered “S” on each toe, executed in silver metallic thread and tiny spangles. (now oxidized blackish but still with some sparkle) The upper edge of the slipper has a drawstring and a small bow. The interior is natural colored linen, and soles are fine leather.
This type of satin slipper was the most popular formal shoe for women in the 18th c up to the mid 1850’s. While simple in appearance, they are constructed with exacting skill, fine materials and are clearly a sign of quality by the wearer.
Each slipper features a shoe makers red stamp on the interior sides, indicating size ‘2’ and the makers name, a New York City firm. The stamps provide not only provenance, but confirm the popularity of such shoes. This is not surprising as shoe making is an early industry in America, and shoe labels appear much earlier than in garments or other accessories.
While delicate and danced in, other examples can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Once belonging to well-to-do ladies, they are very similar in construction and style.
A very similar pair in cream-colored satin with metallic thread and spangle embroidery on the toes. These contain a maker’s label which reads: Made by John Buckler, Ladies Shoe maker, William Street, New York. MET Museum, Acc. No. 11.60.196 a,b. The more austere black satin slippers are in the same style, perhaps for mourning period. Collection of the MFA, acc no. 52.1222 a,b
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/80024555?rpp=60&pg=3&ft=slippers&pos=177
https://collections.mfa.org/download/112934;jsessionid=5707C098F9AE31A82892D3ED8470A5D5
Mother Seton’s slippers were on display for many years, and became misshapen, creased and wrinkled. However, overall, the slippers were in good structural condition. The goal of our conservation treatment was to re shape, surface clean, make custom paddings to support the delicate silken and linen structure, and make them absolutely beautiful for display in the new museum.
Previous display, passive humidification softened the silk and linen, and allowed for gentle re shaping and padding out. The final conserved slippers.
Designing the supports was a creative process. The goal was an ‘invisible’ ‘minimalist structure, that would create a delicate beautiful shape, while filling the toe area, and providing a bit of tension to hold out the sides. AND make visible the maker’s labels on the interior sides. We looked at traditional shoe trees, shapers, fitters, stretchers, and the methods used by museums today. It involved lots of measuring, making mock ups, and experimenting with various archival materials.
The toe is supported with a custom toe pad of abaca tissue paper and polyester batting, with soft foam volara base and front, and covered with a light weight cotton fabric matching the inside linen lining of the slippers. The ‘toe ball’ fits snuggly and is only slightly visible when viewing the slipper from the end of the shoe. A linen cord is attached to the end of the ‘toe ball’ in order to gently remove it.
The back of the shoe is supported by a firm rounded ‘sling’ that nestles into the back heel. It is constructed of fosshape, a polyester felt material, that is shaped and hardened with steam. It is wrapped with a layer of soft batting and covered with the cotton fabric matching the linen lining of the slipper. This ‘sling’ holds the heel of the slipper firm and upright.
To provide support to the sides of the slippers, and keep the shoe shape extended, two pairs of ‘arms’ are attached to the back ‘sling’ and tips inserted into the edge of the ‘toe ball’. The arms are constructed of the same fosshape padded covered method, so that they blend in with the lining of the slipper. The interior labels are still visible and the slippers are fully supported, and elegant.
It was a great honor to preserve Mother Seton’s dancing slippers for many to see and better understand the breadth of this American woman, and saint.
Making a pilgrimage to Mother Seton’s new museum with grand daughter Oona.
All photos by Julia M Brennan, Caring for Textiles, unless otherwise noted.
https://setonshrine.org/museum/
https://setonshrine.org/behind-the-artifact-dancing-slippers/
What a great article! Thank you for sharing!
Dear Julia,
Thank you so much for the important and enduring contribution you are making to preserving and understanding our past, our hope for better planning our future. I have visited Mother Seton’s temporary home in Baltimore, but it is seeing her dancing slippers that brings the woman and her life journey so much more intimate and real. Your posts are treasurers!
Dear Julia,
Thank you for sharing this story about Mother Seton. Seton Hill University is in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where I live. The Sisters of Charity arrived in Greensburg in 1882 to start a boarding school for girls (also Saint Joseph’s Academy), which became a chartered college for women in 1918. My late mother and aunt were Seton Hill College graduates, and the Sisters were my elementary school teachers.
I will share this with, Casey Bowser, the archivist for Seton Hill and The Sisters of Charity.
Regards,
Joanna
Wonderful story of your important work. Congratulations for a job well done!