Shoe Shine Stand

Item

Type
Physical Object
Title
Shoe Shine Stand
Rationale
This object can be used in discussion of the resilience of African American businesses, employees, and entrepreneurs of the late 20th century.
Description
This is a shoe shine stand that was originally used at the Hotel Oliviere at 100 West 7th Street (torn down circa 1968/69) and then moved to the Amtrak station in Wilmington, DE. This item was owned and used by Vereen T. Lolley (1931-2012), an African-American man who worked at it when it was in the Amtrak station from circa 1968/69 until circa 2009, when the station underwent renovations and Mr. Lolley took the bench home with him.

The stand has a white-painted, wooden base with two steps that are topped in white marble. The lower step has eight cast iron raised shoe rests attached. The upper step has four built-in small drawers and serves as a platform for a wooden bench seat that is painted gray and brown and divided into four seats with arm rests. Each seat has an orange vinyl leaf pattern brocade seat and back. The bench comes apart into three parts.
Date
1940-1950
1940s
1950s
Place
Wilmington, Delaware
Subject
Shoe shiners
Shoe shining
Creator
Unknown
Extent
Physical dimensions: 9'2"Lx5'2"Hx 3'1/2"D
Digital dimensions: 639x405px
Medium
Wood, marble, vinyl
Provenance
Owned and used by Vereen T. Lolley. At some point afterward, it was purchased by the Delaware Historical Society.
Publisher
Delaware Historical Society
Rights
The copyright and related rights status of this item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available (noted above in Publisher and Identifier) for more information.