GC featured this lovely illustrated map of Made in the U.S.A. brands. Eleven companies, founded between 1873 and 1999, four from the 19th century, the rest of the 20th, creating the best blankets, shirts, bags, jeans and boots. And as Red Wing Shoes we're proud to be featured as the 'Iconic producers of resurgent, Rust Belt-ready work boots'! Thank you for that.
(Read the feature here / The illustration was made by the talented Jon Han)
Two weeks ago we had little event, a night with personal, unique stories behind fifteen pairs of Red Wing boots, as told by the owners themselves, at the Red Wing Shoes Store in Amsterdam. It was a to remember! Enjoy this little movie by Benjamin & Daan.
We found another old cabinet photo of a group of miners in the Jack Possum Mine, Wentworth, Missouri. There's not much information on this mine, but with a little research we found out that it was owned by Smith & Hodges Mining Co. and was one of the largest in that area around 1915 to dig for sphalerite, the most common zinc ore.
It's a beautiful picture that breaths the dark underground atmosphere, the young brave men wearing heavy boots, denim overalls and dungarees accompanied by a hinny on the right for the real heavy work. A great addition to our growing collection.
Just found out about this amazing documentary film illustrating the life, skills & character of the turn-of-the-century Maine lumbermen & river drivers. Using oral histories, rare films & photography 'In The Blood' presents an accurate and vivid portrait of the men who pioneered their way through the 19th century Maine woods. The documentary was made by Sumner McKane, a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and filmmaker based in mid-coast Maine and is a truly amazing source of inspiration.
When we started the Red Wing Shoes store Amsterdam I started collecting bank bags, and although I didn't started a real collection before I completely lost myself on ebay, searching for vintage bank bags, leather deposit bags and other vintage bank related pieces. The collection is still growing but I forced myself to put the energy in something worth sharing here. And a new collection was born.
Together with Menno we're now putting together a collection of vintage photographs of people wearing denim (for Tenue de Nîmes) and images of rail-, mine-, and factory workers for the Red Wing Shoes store Amsterdam. It's an amazing source of inspiration, and they will probably make it into a publication, but until then we will share some here.
We are always happy to see it's getting colder, we love the winter, the short days and adventurous trips in the snow and on the ice. Yesterday I received this photo in the mail with a beautiful monologue on why it was so special. About the composition, the different tones of grey, but primarily about the mess and the huddle on the deck. How on earth could they sail in this kind of mess between the floes and ice bergs, what was the story behind it, who was it?
The only thing we know is that it was a crew member of one of Bob Barlett's expeditions to the Arctic, taking a movie of ice berg off the bow of the ship, Greenland, 1939 (Smithsonian Institution Archives)
A truly amazing image, and definitely one that feeds our desire to sail between these floes and ice bergs ! (Thank you Ferry for sharing!)
