Wednesday, 7 October 2026

Victorian device for shoe fitting that hid everything above the ankle

Engraving of a man kneeling to fit a shoe on a seated lady through a screen marked PATENT and topped with a royal coat of arms.

A Victorian device for the discreet fitting of shoes. The salesman sees only the ankle; he cannot peer up the skirt or meet the lady's eye, and is obliged to gaze at nothing but the royal coat of arms

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