- Attributed to
- Keckly, Elizabeth, American, 1818 - 1907
- Owned by
- Welles, Gideon, American, 1802 - 1878
- Date
- ca. 1865
- Medium
- fiber , leather and thread
- Dimensions
- L x W: 10 1/4 × 3 in. (26 × 7.6 cm)
- Description
- A pair of men's boudoir slippers in a stars and stripes design attributed to Elizabeth Keckly (sometimes spelled Keckley). The slippers were likely commissioned by Mrs. Gideon Welles to be presented to her husband, Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy under President Lincoln. The slippers are crocheted in stripes of red and white from the toe to the heel. Across the top of the vamp is a blue band embroidered with scattered white stars. The throat of the slippers is edged in a twisted blue and red cord. The slippers have a flat, leather sole and a squarish toe.
- Place made
- United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Clothing - Fashion and Historical
- Type
- slippers
- Topic
- Business
- Clothing and dress
- Craftsmanship
- Free communities of color
- Politics
- Slavery
- U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2018.35.2.1ab
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




