This pair are a perfect example of David Elman's use of classic silhouettes with high-quality materials. Photo / Supplied
When you think of a museum and its collections you don't tend to imagine objects from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s belonging there.
But it is a growing trend of larger museums to collect modern and even contemporary examples of everyday life. The aim is to future-proof the museum's collection
by selecting the best items representative of significant events or mass movements to share with future visitors, rather than waiting until they have sat broken or unused in someone's house before eventually being donated.
Future collecting will likely become more important within museum collection strategies as our way of life changes and many objects are recycled or discarded within a single person's life. However, for smaller museums such a strategy is very difficult owing to our space constrictions; the actual practicalities of storing and cataloguing a fast-growing collection restricts active collecting. Despite this, Whangārei Museum still cares for items of the more recent past, including today's feature item, a pair of David Elman shoes.
David Elman has been a household name since opening in the 1950s. Opening its first factory in Grey Lynn, Auckland, in 1953, the brand set the standard for high-quality New Zealand-made shoes until the early 2000s. Founder Raymond Monks learnt shoemaking from his father, who had a men's shoe shop in Auckland, where his brothers worked too. Raymond moved out on his own to establish his own store targeted at women's fashion styles made to be comfortable, chic and with a diverse sizing system, using half and narrow sizes.
With greater competition in the 1950s David Elman shoes were only sold in a few shops around the county. The company experienced growth in the 1960s and 70s when Raymond's son, Brooke, joined the family business and injected knowledge of international craft and sales by making regular trips to Europe.
