Janette Gerber
"The Elves and the Shoemaker"
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| (Photos by Patrick Fraser) |
The story begins something like this... the shoemaker and his wife fell upon hard times and had just enough leather to make one pair of shoes. Enter the Elves, who in my mind are a metaphor for those who work to make this world a better place. I have the good fortune of having some friends like this. One provided the leather for the sandals you see in the photo. The sandals are for "Tias", (Spanish for aunts) who live and work in an orphanage in Chimaltenengo Guatemala. The shoemaker who made them also teaches all of the children how to make their own shoes.
I visited the orphanage and was impressed by the workshops that teach the children farming, clothing construction, weaving, shoemaking, and woodworking, guiding them toward self sufficiency.
My footwear research led me to Sara McIntosh had just opened The Chicago School of Shoemaking. I called and set up a meeting. As it turns out Sara has been a self-sufficient cobbler for many years. Having always loved shoes I wanted to know how to make them so I took Sara's shoemaking class and made my red shoes. I made the small shoes as a tribute to all of the "elves" that quietly work to make this world a better place.