Mayer

Mayer

Mayer - Martin & Picard, Anciens Etablissements, 23, Mortimer-Street, London. The Shoe & Leather Record, March 13, 1914 gives the following description: Best Slippers, leather soles, quilted satins, cashmere, glace, etc. The company was active since 1840s and is last listed in the Trademark Index for 1921.

The following information was provided by © June Swann. 2006

MAYER

Paris, ladies shoemaker and prolific exporter, especially from the middle years of the worldwide, French shoe export boom period 1820s-1850s and later. Most of his soles are stamped MAYER/ Julien/ à Paris beneath a crown. His later trade-mark, presumably from 1865, shows the 3 medals won by the firm (Paris 1861, Londres 1862 and Porto 1865 Qute supérieure, within a rococo scroll).

It is still illustrated in the 1921 (English) Trade Marks Index and 1929 Shoes & Leather Marks, but both with the ‘London’/Londres date 1882. It was the mark of Etablissements, E. Picard. Nancy & Paris, with agent in London W1, supplying ‘slippers, leather soles, quilted satin, cashmere, glacé &c’.

1824
Art de la Chaussure p.363 under ‘Bottiers-Cordonniers’: rue Feydeau no 4. Not found in directories until 1843-5

Mayer, chausseur, rue Tranchet 9.
Manchester, Platt: shoes, Cordonnier pour Dames, 9 Rue Troncet(?), the only one seen with an address, though some have the importing shoemakers/retailers printed label on insock.
Those with the first mark, with crown, include:
Northampton Museum: 5 pr, mostly ‘balet’, 1 bronze kid.
Hitchin Museum: 2 pr ‘balet’.
Toronto, ROM: 4 pr, 1 dated 1842 with J. Englebert label; the other labels: Thomas Moore, F. Marsh (maker & importer), Viault-Esté (Paris & London, maker, large-scale exporter).

1850s
NM P.98/1972.8: ‘balet’ + bows and tassels.
Cheltenham: 1 ‘balet’, 2 ivory ‘balet’ with rosette. Note: trims, such as a rosette or fenelon were used to disguise and modernise the ‘balet’ when it became old-fashioned (there was over-production: see 1877 below).
Worthing Museum: ‘cameleon’, bronze kid with blue silk underlay.
Shaftesbury Museum: ditto, pink underlay, no heel. Printed label: Holland.
V&A T81-1962: ‘cameleon’,

1860-5
Northampton Museum: 5 pr shoes, 2 of which bronze kid, silk embroidered, 1 with label, Norman (large company).
Manchester, Platt: 2 pr.
Christies 20.1.1987 lot 130: black kid with fenelon (from 1859, but see ‘rosette’ note under 1850s). ‘From Wright, Norwich’.
Brooklyn Museum: fawn, with brown fenelon.
Phillips 21.12.1978: ‘balet’ with bows and cord trim.
Helsinki City Museum.: bronze leather shoes.
Hobart, Naroyna: black ‘balet’. ‘E. Lacroux, successeur’. with 3-medals trade mark.
NM: 4 pr, including 1 pr of girl’s, with label: Duncan.
Christies 15.4. 1971: ‘balet’ + bow.
Manchester, Platt: pr thought to be 1868-80, and 1 pr. of ‘1868-70’ with 2 medals mentioned, 1862 & ‘65.
Worthing Museum: pr.
Edinburgh Museum of Antiquities: ‘balet’ with heel.
Norwich Museum: wedding shoe.
c” Christies 11.3.1980 lot 5: black ‘balet’; lot 7 white ‘balet’; lot 4 c1880 wedding, ivory with fenelon. 13.4.1982 lot 186: dates may be misread.
NM D.145.1971: for wedding, ivory satin ‘balet’, originally without heel, now with ‘70s knock-on heel and fenelon hides the original tiny bow. Printed label: William Bird.

1870s
Without 3-medal trade mark: London, Geffrye Museum: fenelon shoe. Printed label: A. Livingston, Chelsea.
Christies 18.11.1976: 3 pr, 1 ‘balet’, 2 with bow. 11.3.1986 lot 64: black court with bow.
Banbury Museum: ‘balet’.
Dunfermline Museum: fenelon court.
Canter-Cremers van der Does p.104/Amsterdam, Gemeente Mus.: fenelon shoe.

1880s
Manchester, Platt: shoes
Phillips 4.3.1982: ivory silk beaded shoe.

© June Swann 2006

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