1904 World’s Fair porcelain souvenir is a shoe-in
Q: Enclosed is a photo of a pair of porcelain shoes that belonged to my grandmother. On the bottom of each shoe are the words “World’s Fair — 1904.” They are a cream and tan color with a flower on each of the toes. They are in perfect condition, no cracks or chips. Is the pair of any value?
A: The 1904 World’s Fair was held in St. Louis, Missouri, to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase. In 1803, the United States acquired the 828,000 acres of the Louisiana Territory from France. Napoleon Bonaparte gave up the plan to have a French territory in the New World and Thomas Jefferson, the president of the United States, quickly agreed to the purchase.
Singer Sewing Machine Company, Buster Brown shoes and Bissell Vacuum Company were just some of the manufacturers that had displays at the exposition. A myriad of souvenirs were sold that included porcelain fancy shoes, jewelry, clocks and clothes.
Your pair of porcelain shoes would probably be worth $25 to $50.
Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P. O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
The 1904 World’s Fair was held in St. Louis, Missouri, to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase. In 1803, the United States acquired the 828,000 acres of the Louisiana Territory from France.