Michelson’s Shoes, Part I

Michelson’s Shoes is a family-owned shoe store in Lexington, Massachusetts. I have been a fan of the store ever since they fit shoes to the small, narrow feet of my toddler son. In 2019, I

noticed a sign in the shop’s front window. Celebrating 100 Years. One hundred years in

business! Wow! As an archivist, I wondered what kinds of records and materials had survived

the century. Not many, I learned, to my disappointment. But my conversation with Eric

Michelson, one of the store’s owners, took my thoughts in a new direction. I decided to write a story documenting the store’s remarkable one hundred years.

The first step in my story research was to take a closer look at the store’s archival materials. Eric pulled a frayed paper bag and a boot box from the depths of a small and very crowded office. Taking a quick look, I saw photographs, news clippings, programs, promotional materials, even a pencil case… Tantalizing! Clearly, I would need more time with the items.

Feeling a little uncomfortable about having to return the items to their less-than-ideal storage receptacles, I offered to archivally organize and house the materials.

I purchased acid-free boxes and folders. With Eric’s permission, I brought the collection next

door to the Lexington Public Library and spread it across a table. Over the next few hours, I

surveyed the materials and began to group and arrange them. Much neater! The collection spans the years 1890 to 2019—from a pocket-size, novelty notebook advertising Crawford Shoe Stores to clippings related to the store’s centennial gala celebrations.

Some of my favorite items are a 50th Anniversary pin, a souvenir pencil case with accompanying tag, concert programs, and newspaper advertisements from the 1950s showcasing the most desirable back-to- school footwear (penny loafers! saddle shoes!). For more on the souvenir pencil case see blog post Michelson’s Shoes, part II. A slideshow of some of the items in the collection can be viewed in the Projects section.

Much tidier archive!

I had hoped to page through early ledgers and account books, but, alas, these did not exist. As Eric reminded me, when the financial year was over, the store would no longer need to retain these records (and given the small size of the office, there probably wasn’t room).

With the collection neatly arranged, labeled, and housed, it was time for me to start writing.

Continue reading on Michelson's Part II