The ion Of Bootblacking 3c6w5c

The ion of Bootblacking

Linda A. Dominguez

Copyright © 2021 by Linda A. Dominguez ISBN: Paperback 978-1-956096-04-0 eBook 978-1-956096-05-7 LCCN: 2021913346

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Printed in the United States of America

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to Sir Tatsujin Paris, the person to whom I am bound in three different ways: (1) handfasting; (2) civil wedding; and (3) collaring. He answered my complaint about there not being any reference books on how to be a bootblack with the order, “Then write a book and there will be one.” So, here is the result of my compliance to his order. I hope I have made you proud with my work on this book.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1: What is bootblacking and when did it start?

Chapter 2: What does it mean to be Leather?

Chapter 3: What role does a bootblack play in the Leather community?

Chapter 4: What does love or sex have to do with it?

Chapter 5: Who becomes a bootblack?

Chapter 6: Practical advice

Chapter 7: Bootblacks and the Master/slave or Sir/boy Dynamic

Chapter 8: Running for a title—should you or shouldn’t you?

Chapter 9: Tales from the Bootblack stand

Chapter 10: Final Thoughts

Appendices

FOREWORD

I’ve known Amelia for some years. In that time, I’ve come to respect her, been frequently astonished by and regularly laughed long and hard in her company. I’ve known her best as girl Amelia to Sir Tatsujin Paris and watched the carefully balanced dance they maintained between their deeply felt leather life and the more public one of girl Amelia, Bootblack and Title holder. Girl Amelia, the Bootblack, brings out the best in people; the ones who sit in her chair and ones she mentors. With considerable skill and a healthy dose of elbow grease she brings boots and leather garments back to life while openly engaging with the people she serves. Knowledgeable, she sets forth to give a foundation on the history of Bootblacking before moving into the care and upkeep of boots and garments. She touches on the Leather Lifestyle that she holds most precious and discusses the contest system where a Bootblack can choose to be recognized by their peers and the Leather Community. She does this with charm and wit so without further commentary, I give you the writings of girl Amelia, the Bootblack.

Boy Darren Amerson-Holt

Boy Darren is my brother from another mother, Leather brother, and dearest friend. He died on June 24, 2020 of bone cancer after years of living with pain. I love you!

INTRODUCTION

I am Amelia, an owned and collared girl, and a bootblack who identifies as femme in the Leather community. I have been a bootblack since November 2009, when Boy Andersen (Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack 2010) and Brandon (Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack 2009) agreed to teach me about being a bootblack. I wish there had been more chances to have actual learning sessions, but our calendars never seemed to coincide. However, I learned by searching the Internet and attending the Blackout Intensive at South East Leather Fest (S.E.L.F.) in 2010, as well as working on boots, chaps, pants, vests, jackets, and corsets.¹ It was at S.E.L.F. that I plunged into the deep end of the pool, learning from David Hawks, Q, and others what it means to be a bootblack, as well as tips and techniques. David Hawks taught me that something as simple as laying out the products I will use during a shift can be a way to center my attention and energy so that my focus is on the person sitting in my chair and the leather gear they are wearing. Q taught me that gender has no meaning for a bootblack; whether it is the person in the chair or the bootblack working on the leather. Q helped me find the permission inside me to accept the fact that I am genderfluid. Each bootblack that I have encountered has taught me something valuable; whether it was a new product, a new process, or a new perspective on things. Positive or negative, I learn and value each lesson. Eager to give back to the Leather community and expand on my skills, I ed the Bootblack Brigade in February 2010 as a pledge on probation. After working on some projects and demonstrating that I really meant it when I said I had a ion for being a bootblack, Brandon Riley, President and Founder of the Bootblack Brigade, presented me with a full member back patch on May 8, 2010. Tatsujin Paris, the Sir who collared me on December 31, 2008, presented me with a brown leather vest on May 17, 2010, with the Brigade patch sewn on it; proof that I had earned not just the patch, but also my first piece of leather. In November 2010, I became the Treasurer for the Brigade and a member of the Board of Directors. In October 2012, I became the President of the Brigade. I

used my skills as an attorney to the organization as a 501(c)(4) tax exempt organization. The Brigade no longer exists in the United States, having succumbed to the diverging goals of various . After searching throughout the Internet and reading various websites about the craft and skills of being a bootblack, I learned two things: (1) there are very few actual books about it, and (2) there are very few older bootblacks left in the Leather community after the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s took its toll on the Leather community. I spoke to Sir Tatsujin Paris about this situation and he assigned me the task of writing a comprehensive book about it, with the hope that more people would decide to become bootblacks if there was a resource that was easily accessible. I decided that part of my community service is mentoring people who wish to become bootblacks. To my great and pleasant surprise, my first apprentice, Leo Mason, became a titleholder in 2011, Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack. He went on to compete for International Community Bootblack in San Francisco, California and did well for someone who had spent very little time prior to the contest working as a bootblack. I was so proud of him. My personal view of being a mentor is this: I will give you a foundation of information and techniques to use in the care of leather. After that, it is your job as a bootblack to use that foundation and spend a lifetime learning and expanding your own knowledge into a house built with pride and ion. Since 2010, I have had other apprentices, who are in various stages of growth as bootblacks. I am proud of them all and, to my mind, there is no mandate for an individual bootblack to work in public unless they feel comfortable doing so. After all, it is told that the original bootblacks in the gay Leather community cared only for the leather of the persons in their households. The bootblacks who worked in gay bars were, for the most part, not of a household. They were expected to not just care for leather gear but also engaged in sexual conduct with their customers. Often, the bootblack was hopeful that a good “scene” would be enough to prompt a customer to take them into service in that household. As a result, the community or bar bootblacks were subjected to several strains of the HIV virus during the pandemic, when the use of cocktails of medicines was not yet established and they died in large numbers.

My First Public Client as a Bootblack

At the Playhouse Studios New Year’s Eve party in 2009, I overheard a Top commenting that he needed to have his boots worked on and he was disappointed that no bootblack had shown up as d. After consulting with Sir Tatsujin Paris, I approached him and said that I was a bootblack in training and that I would work on his boots if he wished. He agreed to let me work on his boots, stating that he had never had them done by anyone and was curious to try it. I was a bit nervous since Sir was watching me, as well as the Top’s girl; I did not want to mess up my first client’s boots! Then I realized that I was wearing a party dress and that Sir Tatsujin Paris would not be pleased if I messed it up with polish. So, I asked for permission to remove my clothes and asked the Top if he minded if I worked on his boots naked. The Top indicated he had no problem with me being naked and I went to work.² I rehearsed in my mind the steps I needed to take: inspect the boots, clean them, and then work in polish and buff them. The Top warned me that, in his opinion, the boots would be difficult to do because they had not been worked on for some time. However, it was clear to me that he did not wear them daily so there was not much dirt on them—a few scuff marks but not too bad. I began working on the boots and soon lost myself in the boots and the smells of the items I was using. I was a bit surprised to find I was sweating and the Top asked me questions about my use of layers of polish on his boots. I explained what I was doing as I went along and he asked more questions at the end. I was so pleased when both Sir Tatsujin Paris and the Top said that I had done a good job on the boots. This cemented for me the fact that I love being a bootblack and caring for leather.

Serving the Community

I have spent much of the last decade serving not just Sir Tatsujin Paris, but the Leather community. This has resulted in traveling to events and bars to either

work as a bootblack or present classes on being a bootblack and leather care. It has been difficult at times to balance my service to Sir Tatsujin Paris with my need to serve the Leather community. He has not enjoyed much of it as he must drive me to various venues since I cannot drive. I am legally blind and use a white cane for mobility so I cannot drive. Sir Tatsujin Paris developed a t class with me to discuss how owning a bootblack impacts the M/s or D/s dynamic and how a Master or Sir must restructure protocols and expectations that may have existed within the relationship prior to one of the parties becoming a bootblack. I am comfortable working in gay bars and at gay Leather events. The fact that I am a femme bootblack has not caused me problems at all and, in fact, Sir Tatsujin Paris slowly decided that I should fully express who I am as a bootblack. At first, I would work in shorts and a tank top. That progressed to Sir Tatsujin Paris insisting that I wear skirts or dresses rather than shorts. In late 2011, he insisted that I wear a corset (not too tightly laced!) to emphasize my breasts on top of either a dress or a low-cut top and skirt. The skirts are either fairly short or frilly. I do wear my earned leather boots (purple Doc Martins) or go barefoot during the summer. Mama Viola Johnson calls me the “barefoot bootblack” and giggles in delight to see me barefoot at the bootblack stand during an event. I don’t care for shoes anyway, so going barefoot is no problem to me. A list of the events, not including bar nights, that I have worked as a bootblack, coordinator, and/or a presenter since February 2010 are as follows:

Femme Bootpride Weekend 2010 Charm City Fetish Fair 2010 DC Leather Pride Festival 2010, 2011 Master/slave Conference 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014-2019 Mr/Ms New Jersey Leather Contest 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Philadelphia Leather Pride Night 2010, 2011, 2012

Santa Saturday 2010, 2012 Have a Nasty Christmas 2010 Winter Solstice 2010 Mid-Atlantic Leather Contest 2011 through 2020 Colonial Kink 2011 C.L.A.P. 2011, 2012 Foreplay 2011 Bootblack Olympics 2011 Brimstone II 12 Days of Christmas 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 North Carolina Leather Weekend-UU 2013

It is a lot of travel and a lot of weekends spent away from home. In fact, in 2011, we traveled about 5,000 miles so I could work as a bootblack or present classes on what it means to be a bootblack. In 2012, we traveled over 10,000 miles. During my title year of 2013, we traveled approximately 25,000 miles! However, the charities that receive a portion of the tips I receive are better for the presence of bootblacks at these events. I also accept apprentices who wish to learn the art of being a bootblack from me. The only thing I require from an apprentice is a willing heart and a ion to care for leather, which preserves the history of the Leather community. The fact that I am legally blind has impacted my being a bootblack; but not in a negative way. Yes, I use a white cane for mobility and do not drive a car. I use a camping headlamp to give me extra light in a dark bar but otherwise, I rely on smell, touch, and feel to work on leather items. Because of smell, I do not use Kelly brand wax polish or Obenauf shoe oil; those brands make me want to vomit and I do not want to do that on someone’s boots. My favorite brand of

wax polish is Angelus because I like the smell and my clients are pleased by the shine I can raise on their boots. I use my hands to feel the leather for dryness and hardness. I do not use rags to apply wax polish or other conditioners; I need to feel the leather to ensure that I am doing the right thing. I can get a high or hard shine but I will ask the person sitting in my chair if they are happy with the results to ensure that I have given “good chair.” Oh, by the way, the headlamp is worn around my neck so that the “girls” are highlighted when I bend over, as well as ensuring that I do not blind my client when I look up to answer a question or discuss the history of the leather they is wearing. When I am working on oil-tanned boots or leather garments, I feel for tension in the muscles within the body part encased in leather. I work to relieve that tension while conditioning the leather and, sometimes, it becomes an erotic scene for our enjoyment. I have been told that others watching me work can feel the energy flow between me and a client and my hands will become hot to the touch when the flow is going well. Also, I will sweat from the work but I end my shift happy and energized! I was surprised to learn that, at a new bootblack instruction weekend in Augusta, Georgia in January 2013, called Southern Sole, one of the instructors decided that it would be interesting to have a competition for the students to see who could produce the best high shine on a boot. The surprise was that they were blindfolded so that they could do it “Amelia’s way,” that is, by touch. I hope that this book is useful as a resource and a place to start on your journey as a bootblack, even if you do not work publicly and choose to work in private for friends, Master or Sir. , there is no “one true way” to care for leather! It is, in part, my own journey and what I have discovered about the history of bootblacks. I wish you well.

In Leather and boots!

Girl Amelia Owned and collared by Tatsujin-Paris

Mama’s Boot Bat since March 2011 Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack 2013 First Runner-up, International Community Bootblack 2013 Mama Vi’s Barefoot One

¹ In the Leather community, there are Dominant/submissive (D/s) relationships. I willingly entered into such a relationship as the “girl” in a Sir/girl relationship. A “femme” is a queer or lesbian woman who identifies and dresses in a feminine fashion, wearing dresses, skirts, corsets, stockings, and makeup and jewelry, as opposed to the butch or dyke woman, who presents in a more masculine fashion. ² A “Top” is someone who plays the dominant role in BDSM scenes at play parties or privately. A Top is different from a Master, Daddy, or Sir, who make the conscious decision to enter into a relationship with someone and accepts the responsibilities, as well as the advantages, of having someone in service to them. A Master, Daddy, or Sir is not necessarily a Top when it comes to BDSM play.

CHAPTER ONE

What is bootblacking and when did it start?

Definition of a bootblack—

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a bootblack is “one who shines shoes” and the term was first used in 1817. My personal definition of “bootblack” or the art of being a bootblack includes more than just shining a pair of boots or shoes. It is the care of leather worn by of the Leather community (or even worn by those in the vanilla world). Vests, jackets, boots, shoes, corsets, chaps, belts, anything made of leather is treated with the love and attention required to maintain its usefulness to the owner/wearer. From my own feelings and my observation of others in the bootblack community, a bootblack loves the smell, feel, look of leather, and will gaze longingly at a piece of leather that needs care. Hands will itch to touch and caress, nostrils will twitch at the scent of leather and polish. There is a gut reaction to leather that is probably not rational but is deep-seated and cries out to be addressed. I find that working on leather, whether it is a pair of boots or shoes, a pair of pants or a vest or a corset, calms me and centers me in a manner that I can find in no other way. If I feel exhausted, entering a bar to set up my kit will regenerate my energy and I look forward eagerly to the person who will sit in my chair and let me work on their leather. In THE PICKWICK PAPERS (written in 1867), Charles Dickens used a character named Samuel Weller, a Cockney bootblack, to describe the work expected of a bootblack during that era in England at the White Hart Inn in Chapter 10.

A man was busily employed in brushing the dirt off a pair of boots, early on the morning succeeding the events narrated in the last chapter. He was habited in a coarse, striped waistcoat, with black calico sleeves, and blue glass buttons; drab breeches and leggings. A bright red handkerchief was wound in a very loose and unstudied style round his neck, and an old white hat was carelessly thrown on one side of his head. There were two rows of boots before him, one cleaned and the other dirty, and at every addition he made to the clean row, he paused from his work, and contemplated its results with evident satisfaction.

* * *

A loud ringing of one of the bells was followed by the appearance of a smart chambermaid in the upper sleeping gallery, who, after tapping at one of the doors, and receiving a request from within, called over the balustrades—’Sam!’ ‘Hollo,’ replied the man with the white hat. ‘Number twenty-two wants his boots.’ ‘Ask number twenty-two, vether he’ll have ’em now, or vait till he gets ’em,’ was the reply. ‘Come, don’t be a fool, Sam,’ said the girl coaxingly, ‘the gentleman wants his boots directly.’ ‘Well, you ARE a nice young ‘ooman for a musical party, you are,’ said the bootcleaner. ‘Look at these here boots—eleven pair o’ boots; and one shoe as belongs to number six, with the wooden leg. The eleven boots is to be called at half-past eight and the shoe at nine. Who’s number twenty-two, that’s to put all the others out? No, no; reg’lar rotation, as Jack Ketch said, ven he tied the men up. Sorry to keep you a-waitin’, Sir, but I’ll attend to you directly.’ Saying which, the man in the white hat set to work upon a top-boot with increased assiduity.

* * *

‘Here, clean these shoes for number seventeen directly, and take ’em to private sitting-room, number five, first floor.’ The landlady flung a pair of lady’s shoes into the yard, and bustled away. ‘Number five,’ said Sam, as he picked up the shoes, and taking a piece of chalk from his pocket, made a memorandum of their destination on the soles—’Lady’s shoes and private sittin’-room! I suppose she didn’t come in the vagin.’ ‘She came in early this morning,’ cried the girl, who was still leaning over the railing of the gallery, ‘with a gentleman in a hackney-coach, and it’s him as wants his boots, and you’d better do ’em, that’s all about it.’ ‘Vy didn’t you say so before,’ said Sam, with great indignation, singling out the boots in question from the heap before him. ‘For all I know’d he was one o’ the regular threepennies. Private room! and a lady too! If he’s anything of a gen’l’m’n, he’s vurth a shillin’ a day, let alone the arrands.’ Stimulated by this inspiring reflection, Mr. Samuel brushed away with such hearty good-will, that in a few minutes the boots and shoes, with a polish which would have struck envy to the soul of the amiable Mr. Warren (for they used Day & Martin at the White Hart), had arrived at the door of number five. ‘Come in,’ said a man’s voice, in reply to Sam’s rap at the door. Sam made his best bow, and stepped into the presence of a lady and gentleman seated at breakfast. Having officiously deposited the gentleman’s boots right and left at his feet, and the lady’s shoes right and left at hers, he backed towards the door. ‘Boots,’ said the gentleman. ‘Sir,’ said Sam, closing the door, and keeping his hand on the knob of the lock. ‘Do you know—what’s a-name—Doctors’ Commons?’ ‘Yes, Sir.’

‘Where is it?’ ‘Paul’s Churchyard, Sir; low archway on the carriage side, bookseller’s at one corner, hot-el on the other, and two porters in the middle as touts for licences.’ ‘Touts for licences!’ said the gentleman.

* * *

‘We want to know,’ said the little man solemnly; ‘and we ask the question of you, in order that we may not awaken apprehensions inside—we want to know who you’ve got in this house at present?’ ‘Who there is in the house!’ said Sam, in whose mind the inmates were always represented by that particular article of their costume, which came under his immediate superintendence. ‘There’s a vooden leg in number six; there’s a pair of Hessians in thirteen; there’s two pair of halves in the commercial; there’s these here painted tops in the snuggery inside the bar; and five more tops in the coffee-room.’ ‘Nothing more?’ said the little man. ‘Stop a bit,’ replied Sam, suddenly recollecting himself. ‘Yes; there’s a pair of Vellingtons a good deal worn, and a pair o’ lady’s shoes, in number five.’ ‘What sort of shoes?’ hastily inquired Wardle, who, together with Mr. Pickwick, had been lost in bewilderment at the singular catalogue of visitors. ‘Country make,’ replied Sam. ‘Any maker’s name?’ ‘Brown.’ ‘Where of?’ ‘Muggleton.

As is demonstrated by this excerpt from the book by Charles Dickens, an adult bootblack in England in the 1800s was expected to shine the footwear of both men and women. It is amusing that Sam identified the clients not by name or physical description but by the type of footwear they wore. Furthermore, a bootblack at an inn was assumed to be informed of the location of various professional establishments near the inn. I have found that I will often recognize a pair of boots before I recognize the person wearing them when that person sits in my chair more than once. In talking to other bootblacks, this seems to be a common situation: the boots or leather garment (and the story behind it) will be more memorable until a relationship is established with the wearer over time. Because I cannot see a person’s face in detail, I must rely upon body language to recognize someone. That means I need to have a relationship with that person, be around them on several occasions so I can relate the voice and leather gear to the body and put a name to that person. If I fail to recognize someone, I hope they realize it is because of my lack of sight and not because I am being rude. My own first memory of leather is learning how to shine my father’s boots at the age of four years. My father, at that time, was a drill instructor and his boots had to be shiny every day. I worked next to him, imitating his every move and loving the feel of the leather in my tiny hands. The smell of Kiwi polish brings back memories of my father which I cherish. I taught my own son how to polish his boots when we became of the Civil Air Patrol, a civilian of the U.S. Air Force, that includes children as cadets starting at age 12.

The first known picture of a human being was taken by Louis Daguerre in 1838 in Paris, and depicts a man with his foot on a box as a young boy works on his shoe. Thus, the bootblack is an important part of modern history.

Today, a bootblack will care for the leather of anyone who sits in his or her chair, as well as any piece of clothing that is made of latex, rubber, or plastic. The kit of a bootblack tends to grow with the knowledge of leather care. The following is a description of a person currently in Los Angeles, California, working as a bootblack outside of the Leather community:

Mr Happy Feet

Spiritual Shoe Shine MD

Kevin Dixon aka “Mr Happy Feet” has been shining shoes for over 40 years. He was trained by Chambers, East LA’s finest Slauson Ave shoe shine family, and does a mean Military Spit Shine. Mr Happy Feet is a distinguished alumni of The Midnight Mission, whose plight it is to help the homeless re-establish themselves into society. Kevin was featured in Remy Haynes “The Currency Project”, which profiled 18 Optimistic Leaders who re-established themselves as a consequence of the recessio n, and serves as a mentor and inspiration, both to many of LA’s residentially challenged community, and to those of us privileged enough to spend some time with Happy Feet. He often gives dating advice, most recently to Conan O’Brien’s Recently Unemployed Graphic Artist, Pierre Bernard…to whom he suggested “Just Be Yourself” with the girls.

From the website for Bolt Barbers of Los Angeles, California (ed November 8, 2010 from http://boltbarbers.com)

When did the history of bootblacking start?

Some people believe that the art of bootblacking began with the Romans and Greeks, when a military page cared for the equipment of an officer; however there is little evidence that the pages did more than repair broken leather straps on armor. Most people believe that the bootblack as a part of society began with the industrial age in England, when leather boots became more available to people outside of the ranks of the upper class and the military. The industrial age saw the establishment of the Red Jacket Brigade in the mid-1800s. The Red Jacket Brigade was one of several bootblack brigades within the city of London and the color of the jacket was the way the police officers recognized if the bootblack was in the proper region of the city and, therefore, lawfully at work. With the increased urbanization came big city problems: long working hours, crime, unhealthy living conditions, poverty and a relaxed morality. These conditions permitted an increase in orphans and abandoned children and the concentration of those children in urban areas. These children found it necessary to use new skills to survive in the industrial age. Two of those skills were bootblacking and prostitution.

A. The rise of bootblacks in Europe

Saffron Hill was a notorious district in London, England in the mid-1800s—full of thieves and pickpockets—Charles Dickens based Fagin’s den there in the novel ‘Oliver Twist’ and based Fagin himself on a real life character named Ikey Solomons, who was a notorious fence who lived there and lived off the earnings of a tribe of small boys who were trained as pickpockets. It was also the location of a Ragged School and saw the introduction in 1851 of the Boot Black Brigade, which succeeded in providing jobs and lodgings for homeless boys. Many Italians lived in the area and the first penny ice cream vendors and barrel organs (complete with monkeys) originated there. (source Victorian London)

“The Ragged Child,” a musical in two Acts with music by David Nield, book and lyrics by Jeremy James Taylor and Frank Whately, is based on the life of street children in London, England during the 1850’s. It was first shown in Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on January 20, 1988 and includes roles for eight “urchins” who the Bootblack Brigade. There is a song entitled “Here’s to the Bootblacks,” which is one of the 16 songs in the musical. The main theme of the musical is the creation of the union of the “ragged schools” for orphans and children of the poor by a member of the House of Lords. The Encyclopedia Britannica (www.eb.com) defines the “ragged school” as “any of the 19th-century English and Scottish institutions maintained through charity and fostering various educational and other services for poor children, such as elementary schooling, industrial training, religious instruction, clothing clubs, and messenger and bootblack brigades. The schools were allied in 1844 with the founding of the Ragged School Union in London. They rapidly died out after 1870 with the introduction of national compulsory education, though a few remained into the 20th century.” Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts has been accredited with assisting in the creation of the Bootblack Brigade in London. (ed November 3, 2010 from http://female-ancestors.com/daughters/burdett_coutts.htm)

“One of her most popular schemes was the establishment of the “Shoe-black Brigade,” in which boys were tested as to their real character and general fitness for promotion, and in due time were provided with work by railway companies or were itted to the army or navy service.”

The book Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Change the World by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green, www.philanthrocapitalism.net, includes as an extra chapter on the website, a discussion of how the London described by Charles Dickens in his books was based upon reality.

Dickens knew what he was talking about, having been philanthropic advisor to Angela Burdett-Coutts (1814-1906), later Baroness Burdett-Coutts, at one time

‘the richest heiress in all England’. Just after Queen Victoria took the throne in 1837, Angela Burdett was told that she had been chosen to inherit a banking fortune from her grandfather, subject to various conditions such as taking the Coutts name and not marrying a foreign national. She had many suitors but, controversially, chose to propose to the Duke of Wellington, who was more than 40 years her senior. He declined. In 1881 she eventually married, to an American-born man nearly 40 years her junior, so forfeiting a large part of her fortune to her sister, in accordance with the conditions of her inheritance. It was Burdett-Coutts’ philanthropy, however, that earned her noble title in 1871. Her giving covered almost the entire Victorian era and reflects the scope and ambition of the age. She was always generous to the Church of England at home and overseas but Dickens directed much of her giving to social causes as well. In 1847 he used her money to found Urania Cottage for homeless women, many of whom were prostitutes. Under his guidance she also ed the Ragged School Union, which was founded in 1844 to provide free education to poor children by Lord Shaftesbury (1801-1885)—whose work to limit child labour in factories in Britain is marked by the statue in London’s Piccadilly Circus popularly known as ‘Eros’ but actually ‘The Spirit of Charity’. Burdett-Coutts also ed ‘shoeblack brigades’, which from 1851 provided employment to boys in London (although critics argued that uniformed brigade boys were just displacing in the shoe-shine business their independent competitors who were uned by philanthropic capital).

Clearly, there was a need by the local government to monitor and license the bootblack organizations and the police department was the most logical route to such monitoring. All children were expected to pay for room and board in the orphanages and the bootblack organization was a way to do this. If all the bootblacks must wear jackets of different colors to indicate where they were licensed to ply their trade and live in orphan houses, then it would be easy to locate a bootblack involved in criminal behavior. Drawings made during the 1800s show the bootblack on his knees and the person receiving this service standing, with a foot on the shoeshine box. Two chapters from the book “Street Life in London” by J. Thompson and Adolphe Smith, 1877, describe the creation of the bootblack brigades and the war between the independently licensed adult bootblack and the children who comprised the bootblack brigades. See, “The Independent Bootblack” at Appendix A and “The Dramatic Bootblack” at

Appendix B (ed on November 1, 2010 from http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications/thomson-36.htm). A review of the genealogy of the descendants of John James and Sarah Clark Tourell in London, England reveals that many of the family were involved in either the shoe making industry or the bootblack organizations from approximately 1850. The marriage certificate dated June 1, 1897 lists the bride as “Rhoda Margaret Tourell, age 24, spinster of 86 Leman Street, Whitechapel, daughter of William Tourell, Manager, Shoeblack Brigade.” The census for London in 1911 lists a family surnamed Tourell as follows: “Tourell, Ernest Samuel, age 33; Superintendent OF Shoeblack House *, London St Marks E.; Tourell, Matilda Louise, Wife, Married for 5 years; age 30; Matron of Shoeblacks Home *, born in Stepney; Tourell, Eugenie Marilyn, daughter, age 4; born in Stepney; Tourell, Ernest William, son, age 2 months.” The asterisk directs the reader to the notation -“From 1851 the London Shoe-Black Brigade, established by John MacGregor and Lord Shaftesbury, offered regular, betterpaid, employment for children who made their living cleaning boots and shoes. In the evenings these children could attend lessons at the Ragged Schools. of the London Shoe-Black societies wore a uniform with a coloured jacket indicating the area in which they worked.” (ed on November 1, 2010 from http://www.tomosborn.f2s.com/further_data/names_s_y/tourell2.html). See also, the picture at Appendix C ed from http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk on November 1, 2010, with the caption “‘Shaftesbury’ or ‘Lost and Found’ William MacDuff, 1862 A uniformed shoeblack shows his young friend a portrait of Lord Shaftesbury, founder of the London Shoe-Black Brigade.” An outgrowth of the philanthropic attitudes of the Victorian Age wealthy part of society in England was the institution of programs to send poor children and orphans to countries outside of England as a way of “cleaning up” the streets. The extra chapter entitled “Victorian Giving” notes that

One peculiar aspect of Victorian poor relief that enjoyed broad from Shaftesbury through to Burdett-Coutts and Barnardo was the export of surplus labour. In contrast to 18th century mercantilism that attempted to strengthen the nation with more workers, the Victorians feared more dependent mouths to feed. Canada, Australia and other parts of the empire were to take in those unlikely to

prosper in Britain, with the one-way tickets paid for by philanthropists.

Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Change the World by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green, www.philanthrocapitalism.net.

In Scotland, William Quarrier, a deeply religious man, decided in 1864 that he would establish his own shoe-black brigades for homeless boys in Paisley, just outside of Glasgow. According to the “William Quarrier Presentation April 18, 2009 (www.melanierobertson-king.com), Mr. Quarrier, who came from a broken home and started out destitute himself as a child, imposed certain rules for the of his brigades:

Boys were issued shoe shine kits and uniforms, the costs of which would be repaid. The boys would work during the day and attend school, learning to read and write, in the evenings. They were even required to attend Sabbath School each week.

Eventually, Mr. Quarrier expanded his vision and emulated the ragged schools of England, establishing “The Orphans Homes of Scotland” to rescue orphans and sending them to Canada for what he hoped would be a brighter future than in Scotland. “Between 1872 and 1938, 7,000 children who had been itted to Quarrier’s homes had come out to Canada and thousands others to locations throughout their homeland.” John MacGregor, who was known as “Rob Roy,” also has been credited with creating the “Shoeblack Brigade” as a way to handle those boys who needed a trade or skill to keep them employed legally. While regarded with “unfriendly indifference by the police,” Rob Roy’s work eventually grew to an organization that earned approximately 70,000 pounds yearly. The boys of his brigade went into service on ships of the British Navy and Rob Roy was known to follow their careers closely. See, New York Times article published December 24, 1894, titled “John MacGregor’s Philanthropy”

B. Bootblacking in the United States prior to World War II

The boot blacking brigades lasted in England until the 1890’s; the children doing this job moved throughout the western world, especially to places like New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC. The techniques of the bootblack have been an oral tradition, similar to that of other crafting guilds; with the experts taking on apprentices and training them in the traditions they know concerning leather care. Tips for good work would probably include a form of seduction and, perhaps, went as far as prostitution in some cases. In the United States, attempts by local governments and institutions to regulate the labor of children occurred at approximately the same time in the 1850s. The online “Encyclopedia of Chicago” states that “Presbyterians established the “Railroad Mission,” where poor Irish immigrants and African Americans were schooled together in a railroad car. Other efforts targeted newsboys and bootblacks, prostitutes, and saloon frequenters. By 1871, Chicago had over 33 rescue missions.” (ed on November 1, 2010 from http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1064.html). However, this did not prevent the exploitation of such people as stated in the article titled “Street Life” in the “Encyclopedia of Chicago,” which notes that “By 1868 there were already enough homeless youth peddling papers on the streets to justify the creation of the Newsboy’s and Bootblack’s Home, and their ranks grew… Shoeshine boys and news vendors knew where to find male commuters,…” (ed on November 1, 2010 from http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1203.html). “The New York Times” published an article on March 30, 1865, discussing the economic problems after the Civil War. In Louisville, Kentucky, of “the boot-black brigade refuse to draw a brush for less than ten cents, and at a distance from the office of publication, a dime is the minimum for which the morning or afternoon newspaper can be purchased.” Bootblacks or shoeshine boys also arose through the ranks of the military, which required nicely shined shoes and boots to complete the uniforms. Once they departed the military, these men would ply their trade on the streets of various

cities and towns, earning what they could to pay for their families’ expenses. These two tracks for bootblacks are readily apparent through the 1950’s and early 1960’s, until the style and economy allowed for people to start developing disposable footwear. People stopped going to shoe shines or bootblacks as much as they were before. The introduction of canvas shoes also lessened the need for bootblacks. Bootblacking started to be limited to the working class industrial workers and, more importantly, the military, which was going though an era of high-shine fashion with their boots. This would lead to the Leather lifestyle and the movement of bootblacks from the outdoors and into the leather bars and events that we know today.

C. Bootblacks around the world.

During World War I, a soldier from New Zealand wrote a diary concerning his encounters with persons outside of his native land, including an entry about bootblacks in Cairo, Egypt.

One of the institutions of Egypt is the Bootblack Brigade. We struck it in full force at Cairo. No sooner did you step out of the train there than your ears were assailed by a shrill chorus of, “Mister, clean ’im boots.” There was only one thing to do let them clean them. It was no good trying to dodge those boys; they were out to black your boots, and they meant to black them or perish in the attempt. You gained nothing by bolting into a pub or restaurant; no sooner were you seated comfortably than they had you bailed up by the leg and their brushes going at forty horse-power. Even boarding an electric car didn’t fill the bill; they just chased the car till it pulled up, hopped on board, and got to work. Swearing had no effect; calling their parents names had less they were used to it. Let them earn the usual half-piastre and you could call them and their forefathers all the names in the Bible. You found yourself entirely in their hands; go where you would those Cairo bootblacks ran you down.

“On the Anzac trail: being extracts from the diary of a New Zealand sapper,”

published in London in 1916. The encounter with bootblacks in Cairo, Egypt by of a New Zealand military platoon in 1914-1915 at Chapter IV, East and West, pages 49-50. In recent years, the deaths of parents in wars or from poverty have caused children to return to shining shoes as a means of earning a living. This situation occurs in both Afghanistan and India. HASCO. “Poverty forces Afghan children to quit school to work”; Yahoo! News India. 6 August 2007. “Mumbai plans to ‘polish’ off its shoeshine boys” (concerning the issuance of licenses to limit irregularities among the persons involved in shining shoes in that city of India). Hong Kong continues to regulate bootblacks as street vendors and the laws are very specific:

FIXED-PITCH HAWKER LICENCE

A Fixed-pitch Hawker Licence authorizes the licensee to hawk at a fixed pitch. A fixed pitch means any pitch delineated on the ground in any place or street for the use of fixed-pitch hawker licensees. There are seven categories of fixed-pitch hawker licences, namely:

•Bootblack; •Cooked food or light refreshment; •Newspaper; •Tradesman; •Barber; •Wall stall; and •Other classes.

***

Employment of Assistants

A fixed-pitch hawker licensee may employ such number of assistants as he/she thinks necessary for the purpose of enabling him/her to carry on his business, but no such assistant shall engage in hawking during the absence (other than absence for reasonable cause, such as taking a meal, replenishing stock for the business, or taking a short rest when being sick, etc.) of the licensee from the pitch. He/She shall obtain consent of the Director for employing a person as an assistant in his/her pitch. Registration of an assistant carries no rights or privileges and serves only to record and identify the assistant. “Succession” and “Transfer” The Authority may allow a fresh hawker licence to be issued to an applicant who meets the definition of “immediate family ” (i.e. parent, spouse, son or daughter) upon the death of a fixed-pitch hawker licensee, surrender or other cancellation, and subject to his/her being able to comply with other stipulated requirements.

***

The aforesaid section states that when the business of a licensee to whom a fixed pitch has been allocated is being carried on, the licensee shall be personally present at the fixed pitch to conduct or superintend business, unless absent for some reasonable cause.

(ed 6/10/11 from http://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/hawker/fixedpitch.html) Former BBC Beijing correspondent Tim Luard wrote of his encounter with a modern bootblack in Shanghai, China in an article dated September 16, 2004:

I’d never had a professional shoeshine in my life. But after a day’s walking in a hot and humid city short on public benches, the offer of a seat—even on the smallest of stools—was irresistible. Especially since I had a moment earlier tried to rest on a low marble wall in front of a grand new office building in Pudong, before a security guard smartly moved me on. Like most of the other street sellers, my shoeshine man was originally a poor farmer who had come to try to get a share of Shanghai’s economic miracle, but was still struggling to get by. He had been here for 12 years, he told me, visiting his wife and children in faraway Guizhou just once a year, at the Spring Festival. Having cleaned my shoes, he proceeded to convince me they were coming away from their soles and needed mending. As he handed them back, clean and mended, he noticed a small hole in my sock and offered to fix that too. Then in a final, friendly bid to raise his original taking of 50 cents to a figure several times higher, he seized my tired shoulders and offered a massage.

(ed 11/23/10, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3661828.stm). As can be seen, the skills of a bootblack were prized by those in the military, no

matter what rank they held. For instance, during the Korean War, General Charles H. Bonesteel, III, Commander in Chief, United Nations Command; Commander, U.S. Forces, Korea; Commander, U.S. Eighth Army, stated that he would accept ideas from anyone, including “a shoe black.” Leavenworth Papers, No. 19, Scenes from an Unfinished War: Low-Intensity Conflict in Korea, 19661968 by Major Daniel P. Bolger [From the website http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/resources/csi/bolger/bolger.asp] published in 1991.

D. Bootblacks and the law in the United States

The United States has no federal law regulating bootblacks but individual states enacted statutes concerning the issuance of licenses for persons who wished to work as bootblacks. Some of those laws are still in effect today. Because the work of a bootblack is considered to provide minimal wages, it was regulated as a street vendor or hawker, with permits and licenses available for little or no fee.

City of Phoenix, Arizona Sec. 23-86.—Bootblacks—Permit required; fee. Sec. 23-87.—Bootblacks—Authority of Chief of Police; revocation of permit.

***

It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of shining shoes upon the streets of the City without first having secured a permit from the Chief of Police. No charge or fee shall be assessed for the issuance of the permit provided in this section.

(Code 1962, § 27-4 Cross reference—Businesses, ch. 10

The Chief of Police, relative to bootblacks, shall have the power and duty to establish rules and regulations for the conduct of the business carried on by each specific permittee under the preceding section. The violation of such rules and regulations by any such permittee shall be grounds for the revocation of his permit.

(Code 1962, § 27-5

New York City has dealt with the issue of bootblacks for a long time and includes them in their history of parks and recreation. They were considered vendors and not well received. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, Parks History section http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_about/parks_history/concessions_1.html (ed 6/10/11)

Bootblacks/Shoe Shine Stands

A shoe shine business provides a marginal livelihood. Early in the istration of Commissioner Robert Moses, the agency sought to eliminate the clutter of many small, haphazardly placed park franchises, targeting in particular bootblacks and newsstands. Most bootblacks were eliminated altogether, except in dense business districts such as the areas around City Hall Park and Union Square.

The new “model bootblack” was designed with two chairs, all-weather cover, and in such a manner so that it could be easily folded and transported.

When this shoe shine operation was founded Grover Cleveland was in his first term as President and Brooklyn was its own city. In 1889, the Caramanica family started a bootblack concession in Columbus Park (formerly Can Plaza) at the intersection of Joralemon and Court streets that lasted for more than a century.

Though most shoe shine operations are located in dense, business districts, here the bootblack plies his trade at the workingman’s place of origin—a subway entrance—along Eastern Parkway. Wisconsin Child Labor Laws as written in 1921 have provisions that disallow use of children under the age of 14 years as bootblacks and regulate the hours of employment and issuance of permits. The General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 101, regarding Transient Vendors, Hawkers and Pedlars [sic] discusses the “trade of bootblacking by minors” and may be found in full at Appendix C.

The City of San Francisco CA enacted Ordinance No. 131 (Approved 8/17/1900) ORDINANCE No. 131. (Approved August 17, 1900.)

IMPOSING A LICENSE ON PERSONS MAINTAINING BOOTBLACK STANDS UPON THE PUBLIC STREETS OR SIDEWALKS OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, AND REQUIRING PERMITS TO BE OBTAINED FROM THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.

Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco as follows:

SECTION 1. Every person maintaining a bootblack stand upon the public streets or sidewalks of the City and County of San Francisco shall pay a license of three (3) dollars per annum for each chair used on or within any such bootblack stand; provided the Tax Collector shall issue no license to any person unless such person has a written permit from the Board of Public Works granting such

person permission to use the public streets or sidewalks for the purpose of erecting and maintaining any such stand.

Section 2. All licenses issued under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be known as “Bootblack Stand License.”

Section 3. All licenses issued under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be issued for a period of one year, to date from the expiration of the last license, or from the date that the applicant shall have commenced business.

Section 4. No license issued under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be in any manner assignable or transferable, or authorize any other business than is therein named to be done or transacted, or the business therein named to be done or transacted at any other place than is therein named.

Section 5. Every person who shall violate any of the provisions of this Ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred (500) dollars or by imprisonment not exceeding six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Section 6. All Orders and Ordinances and parts of Order and Ordinances in so far as they conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed.

Section 7. This Ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after its age.

(ed 6/10/11 from http://books.google.com/books? pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=bootblack%20license&sig=tAPNwwZjUWZ0fwxTc7r2iieJ6o4&ei

CHAPTER TWO

What does it mean to be Leather?

There are many books about being a Leatherman or Leatherwoman and all of them speak of basic values such as integrity, honesty, and earning the respect of those in the community. Given the fact that the gay men who have become known as Old Guard Leathermen came from the military, it was natural for them to adopt the core values of the military, i.e., duty, honor, integrity, and respect. That system included a respect for all of those in the chain of command and a desire to include whatever information is useful. This book is not going to delve into the vociferous arguments concerning the existence of the Old Guard and I am making no claims to personal knowledge of such persons. I am including the perspectives of two persons who have been in the Leather community for some time.

A. Guy Baldwin

Guy Baldwin discussed the definition of Old Guard and Leather in an interview published on the website Brute Leather [www.bruteleather.com]. The entire interview is entitled “The History of Leather Traditions.” Basically, Guy Baldwin stated that the origin of the Leather lifestyle was in the 1940s when the gay men who were no longer in the military wanted to maintain the camaraderie and discipline they had enjoyed during WWII.

Upon their return to the States about 1946, many of the gay vets wanted to retain

the most satisfying elements of their military experience and, at the same time, hang out socially and sexually with other masculine gay men. They found that only in the swashbuckling motorcycle culture did such opportunities exist and so the gay bike clubs were born. It was here that they found the combination of easy camaraderie, the stress and thrill of real risk taking (the riding), and the masculine sexuality that they had known during their military days.

Since one can tell who is and is not in the military only when uniforms are worn, these gay men unconsciously (in most cases) transferred their loyalties to their own uniform-the leather gear of bike riders with a few paramilitary touches thrown in. Club insignia often recalled those insignia of special military units: Thunderbolts, Warriors, Blue Max, and Iron Cross to name only a few. Club would exchange their insignia with of other clubs in friendship; christening rituals were transferred from tanks, ships and airplanes to motorcycles and piss was substituted for champagne; the military dress uniform hats became the leather bike caps-all these elements were just as had been during military service.

C. Jack Rinella

By contrast, Jack Rinella wrote an essay entitled “The Myth of the Old Guard,” in which he states that there was never anything that could be considered Old Guard: “there never was, and never will be, an Old Guard.” Jack Rinella said that people were too busy working out human relationships to be considered “Old Guard” and believed that

Most of what Leatherfolk call “Our Lifestyle,” after all, has to do with being polite, careful, ive, with having manners and common sense. There are, certainly, aspects of Leather that differ from other subcultures and those differences are to be cherished, honored, and, most importantly, enjoyed, but when it really comes down to Old and New, Father Alliot’s dictum, which I first heard from him in 1966 holds true: “The more things change, the more they stay

the same.”

The entire essay was published in the website www.bruteleather.com. My own personal belief is that to be Leather is to live with honor, integrity and respect and I have seen this in action among the elders in the Leather community that I have encountered during my time as a bootblack. Persons who walk the walk of Leather do not need to broadcast it from the rooftops; you will know them by their actions. It also means being a sexual outlaw; willing to test the edges and limits of sexual desire in whatever form pleases the persons involved.

CHAPTER THREE

What role does a bootblack play in the Leather community?

After World War II, the gay Leather community formed when gays in the military wanted to continue the camaraderie they found while serving their country. A part of that was continuing the type of discipline and military structure they were used to as a part of the United States military. Having hard shined boots and well-cared for leather jackets was a part of the discipline. So, anyone wanting to become part of the gay Leather community was obligated to learn leather care and to perform it well. A man entering a bar with scuffed boots looked for a bootblack to care for those boots. Otherwise, his chances at finding a sexual partner were diminished since he was seen as someone who could not be taken seriously. A key point in the military was (and is even now!) that anyone who did not take care of their feet and their boots was a danger to the unit because he could not function. A hard shine on the boots was indicative of the fact that the Leatherman was serious about his leather. Beyond just the shine on the boots, the gay men who offered their services as a bootblack in bars would offer boot worship and cigar play to a man sitting in their chair. Boot worship usually meant licking the boots once the shine was in place to establish a connection with the feet wearing those boots. Sometimes the boot worship resulted in sex away from the bootblack stand and sometimes not. Cigar play involved blowing the cigar smoke into the mouth of the bootblack or even tapping the ash from the cigar into the bootblack’s mouth. Unfortunately, most bootblacks from the early days in the Leather community died during the AIDS pandemic and the bootblack community is slowly re-emerging. Today, the work of a bootblack is to ensure that people who sit in the chair at the bootblack stand receive the best in a technically good shine, as well as

interacting with the bootblack about the history of the piece of leather being worked on and, if the feeling is mutual, engaging in a “scene” that involves an energy exchange between the bootblack and the client in the chair. It is said that bootblacks are the heart and soul of the Leather community. After all, the care of leather items enhances the look of the wearer and increases the lifespan of the leather item being cared for by the bootblack. Caring for a piece of leather enables not only the current wearer to continue to use it, but also encourages the Leatherman or Leatherwoman to hand it down to a deserving person within the Leather community. In some ways, the bootblack is also the court jester of the Leather community. Bootblacks tend to be silly, joking and squirting each other with water from their spray bottles. Bootblacks will flirt with the person sitting in their chairs, making sarcastic remarks that are meant to entertain, but not demean, the person whose leather they are treating with love and care. Like the court jester, the bootblack will give advice in the form of a light joke but with serious intent. It is amazing how many times the person sitting in the chair has no idea what is required to keep the boots, pants, or vest they are wearing in good shape. The bootblack will gently chide the wearer for allowing the item to become worn and scuffed, while beaming with pride at the transformation a little love and care brings to a beloved piece of leather clothing. Watching a Leatherman or Leatherwoman walk away from the bootblack stand smiling with pride is the ultimate gift to a bootblack. One of the treasured recent traditions for bootblacks is the “chocolate cake tribute” upon winning a title. The new titleholder is expected to lick chocolate cake from the body of each of the titleholders present at the after party celebrating their winning a new title. This tradition came into being through the coincidence of David Hawks winning the International Mr. Bootblack title on his birthday. A chocolate cake was brought into the hotel for the enjoyment of David Hawks and his fellow bootblacks but there were no utensils or plates. To celebrate the occasion, cake was smeared on bodies and the new titleholder happily licked the bodies clean. This has expanded to a mythos that bootblacks love chocolate in most any form; something that I, as a confirmed chocolate addict, will not deny personally. The irreverence of a bootblack is noted in the column of THE NEW YORK EVENING TELEGRAM, dated April 8, 1879 and entitled “Paris Chit-Chat: A pertinent question put by a shoe black.”

A man out at elbows and almost shoeless places his foot on the box of one of the street shoe blacks. The cover tag of his pedal extremity no longer justified the name, and at the toe offered rather an uncomfortable resemblance to an open portmonnale. The shoe black polished, as well as he could, the heel and the sides, but on arriving at the end of the shoe he raised his eyes inquiringly and in a melancholy tone asked, “Shall I polish the nails?”

[ed 11/9/2010 from the website http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 6/NewYork NY Evening Telegram/New York NY Evening Telegram 1879 Apr 1879 Jul Grayscale/New York NY Evening Telegram 1879 Apr 1879 Jul Grayscale 0091.pdf]

Bootblacks are also a means for the Leather community to collect money for charities. Most events at which bootblacks are working will include the notation that a portion of the donations or tips for the bootblack are going towards either a local or regional charity such as the travel fund for a titleholder or an organization such as, in my region, Brother Help Thyself, The Leather Heart Foundation, or The Carter/Johnson Leather Library. Such donations are often tax deductible (since many of the organizations are Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charities) and are a way for people attending the event or conference to donate to a charity while enjoying the service of a bootblack. In this way, everyone in the Leather community benefits from the seemingly simple act of caring for a pair of boots or other piece of leather. In a sense, the bootblacks of today honor the tradition begun in England during the Victorian Era by giving back to the Leather community; a way of paying backward for the historical generosity of the wealthy towards the orphans and poor children for whom the shoe-black brigades were originally formed. In November 2009, Brandon Riley and Bootblack Blast founded the Bootblack Brigade, which was originally devoted to enhancing the skills of all bootblacks, as well as acting as a source for event organizers to obtain local bootblacks for their events. The logo of the Brigade was based on the Bootblack Pride flag, which was created by Jessie (“Spanky”) Penley on July 4, 2005 and introduced

to the Leather community at the International Leather Sir/boy contest in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2005. The Bootblack Pride flag, which is based on the BDSM pride flag, consists of three colors of stripes—two black; two blue and one white. The width of the stripes, which are wider than the stripes on the BDSM pride flag, signifies the wide range of people who are and those who appreciate bootblacks. The unisex boot stands for the non-gender specific nature of bootblacking. The heart signifies the heart a bootblack puts into the work performed to care for leather and to give the person in the chair a good experience and is located behind the boot. The Bootblack Brigade no longer exists, and to my knowledge, there is no nationwide, regional, or local organization for bootblacks.

CHAPTER FOUR

What does love or sex have to do with it?

Bootblacks incorporate many different styles while working on a client’s boots. A bootblack loves working with the leather item, often to the point of being sexually turned on by working with leather. The sexual tension between a bootblack and a client can manifest in various ways and may include an erotic aspect. While the ultimate goal is a well-cared for piece of leather clothing, the journey to that goal can include twists and turns that enhance the experience for everyone, including those watching the bootblack at work. Some bootblacks will include boot worship as a part of their service to a client. Boot worship often includes licking the boots of the client as a finishing touch to the bootblack experience. For the person whose boots are being licked, the sensuous feelings of having the foot within the boot massaged by a tongue can be breathtakingly intense. There is a flirtatious manner in many bootblacks and even a person who is shy ordinarily will suddenly become sociable and flirt with a client sitting in the chair. Energy exchange is often part of the interaction between a bootblack and the client, no matter what D/s relationship may exist away from the bootblack stand. Placing a glob of Huberd’s shoe grease in the mouth and then licking the boots is a sensuous way to treat oil tanned boots. Another way to accomplish a similar effect is to place Huberd’s shoe grease on the breasts and then rubbing against a pair of pants or a vest. Paying particular and lengthy attention to an item of clothing to the point of a massage with hands, feet, breasts, tongue creates a hot scene for the enjoyment of the parties involved, as well as the onlookers that will inevitably stop to watch and, often, comment on what is occurring.

Especially when working on a garment or oil-tanned boots, the regular conditioning can extend to a massage of the body or foot beyond that which is of a basic necessity and wander into the realm of eroticism and a very hot scene. It is not uncommon for people that might be otherwise engaged in partying or just ing by the bootblack stand to stop and watch the bootblack at work and play. Comments are often made after the “job” is completed about how erotic was the performance. Clearly, any intimacy by the bootblack is done with the consent of the client. The last thing a bootblack wants is to have a client upset by a touch that is beyond the limits of the client. It is the responsibility of the bootblack to ask permission to engage in intimate touching, especially when working on leather pants or chaps. Working on leather garments such as pants, chaps or a corset will clearly involve touching parts of the body that are very intimate and sensually pleasurable. Rubbing and caressing the leather that encases the body results in caressing the body and often results in a hot scene that is enjoyed by all participants. The sexual orientation or gender of the parties directly involved does not matter; what matters is their enjoyment of the scene. By the same token, a customer should never presume that an erotic scene will be part of a bootblack encounter without negotiation. Consent to touching must be obtained from the bootblack prior to any physical . It is also wrong to assume that a bootblack is a person who identifies as a “submissive.” More than one customer has found themselves on the wrong end of a bondage scene when they talked to the bootblack as if they were a submissive and, in fact, that particular bootblack was a dominant or top. Asking questions and negotiation with the bootblack results in clarity and limits the number of embarrassing moments in public. Today in the United States and throughout the world, anyone within the Leather or kinky community who wishes to learn the art of bootblacking may become a bootblack. Bootblacks of all genders and sexual orientations can be found throughout the United States wherever there is leather to be cared for and tips to be made.

CHAPTER FIVE

Who becomes a bootblack?

As noted in Chapter One, the first bootblacks were groups of boys given the skills to perform their jobs in the streets of London, England as bootblacks to utilize the idle hands of orphans and sons of poor families who needed a trade to pay their way in the world. The modern world contains an interesting list of persons who have itted to working as a shoe shine boy prior to becoming famous for other endeavors:

Mahmoud Ahmed—an Ethiopian singer (Cartwright, Garth. BBC News. 2007. “Mahmoud Ahmed”) James Brown—“The Godfather of Soul”. He used to shine shoes and sing and dance on Ninth Street in Augusta, Georgia; in 1993, the road was renamed “James Brown Boulevard” in his honor. José Asunción Flores—composer and creator of the guarania genre of music Rush Limbaugh—conservative radio talk show host and pundit, shined shoes as a young boy to make spending money Oscar Micheaux—African American filmmaker Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva—later President of Brazil (Smith, Rodney. BBC News. 13 January 2003. “Brazil braces for testing times”—President of Peru Lee Trevino—professional golfer

Malcolm X—worked as a shoeshine boy at a Lindy Hop nightclub in New York City (Cooper, Kenneth J. The Boston-Bay State Banner. 16 February 2006. “Malcolm: The Boston years”) Rod Blagojevich—former Governor of Illinois

In the 1950s and up through the 1980s, bootblacks coming out of the gay Leatherman traditions were obviously gay men. Because so many of them died during the pandemic and they worked in the dark Leather bars, I was not able to learn their names. It is estimated that 80% or more of the bootblacks working bootblack stands died because of lack of medical care and cross-infections. The first bootblack contest in the United States was in 1993; David Morgan of Baltimore became the first International Bootblack. A video entitled “Historical Overview of the IBB IMBB Title” chronicles the history of the first international bootblack contest founded by Harry Shattuck, himself a bootblack, and can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=O50Dbn82CTE. More and more, women and even femmes are coming out of their homes and serving the Leather community as bootblacks. It is not that women were not enjoying the need to serve as a bootblack. Rather, they chose to remain within their own household and did not often venture out into the Leather community as bootblacks. The first female-bodied bootblacks were butch, tending to wear jeans and T-shirts with their boots and some of the title holders were women such as Tracey Black (Mid-Atlantic Bootblack 1999). Recently, bootblack titleholders have been predominantly women and even femme. Redwarrior, International Community Bootblack 2010, is the first femme bootblack to hold that title. Pony, International Ms. Bootblack 2009, is the first femme bootblack to hold that title since 2000, when Michael Ann won the title during the second year it existed. Q-tip, aka Q, a female-bodied queer person, is International Ms. Bootblack 2008. bootblack_angela, Central Plains Community Bootblack, is a femme bootblack. A good source of information on the female bootblacks is the documentary by Christina K. Court, “High Shine: 15 Years of International Ms. Bootblack.” The video is online at https://vimeo.com/248519761. Transgender people are also well represented in the bootblack community. Because of the problems that may result from naming them, I will not include the names of individual bootblacks. It is unfortunate that trans* folk cannot live

their lives peacefully and without fear of physical violence, as well as loss of jobs, homes, etc. if their status is revealed. As you can see, anyone with the ion to care for leather and the person wearing it can become a bootblack. The only requirement is to learn how to care for leather and to be willing to serve the Leather community with love and joy.

CHAPTER SIX

Practical advice

Okay, so you’ve decided you want to be a bootblack. However there is no one close to where you live and work that can give you hands-on instruction. The first thing you should do, in my opinion, is to check out the groups on Facebook and FetLife with the words “bootblacks,” “leather care,” “bootblack brigade,” and “boots.” The of these groups are both bootblacks and those with specific questions about caring for a piece of leather. Attend conferences where classes in bootblacking are offered and ask lots of questions. The local Leather clubs may know of someone relatively close to where you live that can teach you the techniques, as well as fun and games, of being a bootblack.

A. The contents of a bootblack kit.

What should be in your first kit? That depends on what you like to use. For me, it depends a lot on how it smells. Be aware that if you have allergies, you should put a dab on your wrist or some other part of your skin that is soft to make sure you are not allergic. One bootblack had the unfortunate experience of using Lexol, only to discover that his allergy was so severe that he ended up in the emergency room suffering from anaphylactic shock. He now carries around an epi-pen in case he encounters Lexol by accident while bootblacking. I would suggest going to a tack shop or shoe repair shop locally to check out what is available and what appeals to you. The common brands of wax polish available in the United States are Kiwi, Angelus, Tarrago, and Lincoln. Cream polish brands include Tarrago and Saphir. Huberd’s shoe grease and shoe oil is

used on oil tanned boots and clothing. Must haves for a starter bootblack kit are as follows (in my opinion):

1.A can of black polish, 2.A can of brown polish, 3.A can of oxblood/red or cordovan polish, 4.A can of navy blue polish, 5.A can of neutral polish, 6.A small round brush to work up a lather using either glycerin or saddle soap for cleaning the boots 7.Two (2) brushes to buff. I suggest a brush with black bristles for use with black polish and a brush with brown bristles for use with brown/neutral polish. 8.A pair of stockings or a microfiber cloth is good for finishing the high shine or “spit polish” look. 9.Rags (old T-shirts that are cut up into usable sizes are best) are needed to wipe off lather and to buff oil tanned boots. 10.A spray bottle for water to work up the lather and to rinse the lather off. 11.An emery board or nail file, a portable light source, and a lighter are all useful. 12.A can of Huberds shoe grease to condition oil tanned boots and leather garments.

As you can see, the little wooden shoe box that can be found in most drug stores and shoe repair shops will not hold all of this. That is because just giving a shoeshine is not being a bootblack. I have found that a toolbox from Lowe’s or Home Depot is the best option for the bootblack kit because it has compartments

to organize your kit. Organizing the kit is very individual and basically is done by how easy it is for you, personally, to reach out and grab whatever it is you need to provide service to the person in the chair. There are many more products that can be included in a bootblack kit to address issues that may arise. However, those are for more than a basic kit. In my own kit, I include Chelsea’s Leather Food, Joseph Lyddy’s Dubbin, Leather New Foam, and items to deal with various problems that I have encountered. In 2017, I discovered online the French brand of wax polish and shoe cream called Saphir. I find its smell to be luscious and working with this fairly soft wax polish is enjoyable. Some links for supplies are:

mahersonleather.com/shoesupplies.htm shoeshineexpress.com huberds.com angelusshoepolish.com lincolnshoepolish.com missionmfg.com

B. Process for working on boots.

There are different types of leather and it is important to be able to differentiate what kind of leather boot or other garment you are working on before you start. Elegant has given a really good definition for types of leather that can be found (as well as creating a teaching tool of leather patches that is really helpful for on the spot determining what kind of leather is on the boot before you). As stated by Elegant on www.fetlife.com in the Bootblacking group, the typical leathers you will encounter are:

•Vegetable Tanned (Veg tan) and Retanned (Veg tan that has then been chrome tanned): Leathers finished with their grain intact and no additional oils added. Usually it has a smooth, slick and hard surface and is usually light brown in color until dyed. Boots and other items made of this leather can usually be polished with wax products. Combat boots, patrol boots and many western boots are usually made from veg tanned or veg retanned leather. •Analine Tanned and Chrome Tanned: Less firm than Veg Tanned leather. Can have a smooth, slick surface or a soft, supple surface depending on the final tannery finish. Often dyed to specific colors during the tanning process. Wax products or cream wax products usually used. Used for some boots, shoes, garments and other items •Buffed and Split Leathers: Buffed leathers, such as Nubuck and Suede, are typically finished to velvet like surface, called nap. Special suede cleaners, a suede brush and perhaps a suede stone are needed to care for these. The main difference is that nubuck is sanded on the outer topgrain surface of the leather, essentially the part that would have been the exterior skin of the animal, while suede is sanded on the inner layer of the skin. •Rough Out Leather: Rough out is not a finish, but rather a method of construction used in applications where exceptional resistance to wear is needed. Rugged hiking boots, construction worker boots, saddles etc often use rough out construction to create a longer wearing boot. The strong but smooth and vulnerable outer surface of the leather is placed inside to avoid abrasions. The rough bottom side of the leather is placed out to take the normal wear and tear. The outside of rough out leather is treated like suede. •Oil Finished/Oil Tanned: The term ‘oil tanned’ is a bit of a misnomer. What we often call ‘oil-tanned’ is actually just oil or wax treated. Special purpose oils or waxes are applied on the surface of chrome tanned leather (or even veg tanned leather in special cases) at the end of the tanning process. The oils provide protection as well as a unique look to the surface. These boots will feel slightly waxy or maybe even greasy. Condition and treat with Hubberd’s Boot Grease, Pecards, Aussie Leather Conditioner or similar high quality treatments. Wax is not typically used on these leathers and oil tan boots will not usually polish to a high gloss. Often used on motorcycle boots (except shiny patrol boots), engineer

boots, loggers etc. (posted on January 27, 2011)

If you are dealing with oil tanned boots as a “project” and not on someone, here is a suggested method of dealing with them:

(1) Using spray bottle with water, spray boots and wipe down with a clean rag. Use a wet toothbrush to clean out along the tongue and along any stitching (around the sole of the boots). Then, use a soft round brush to work up a lather in the saddle soap or glycerin soap and spread the lather on the boot. Spritz with water and wipe off with a damp cloth. Do this several times until cloth no longer shows any dirt.

(2) If the boots have a lot of faded spots, then use Feibings oil dye (Tandy leather shops have it or buy it on line) to re-dye the boots to their original color or as close as you can get. Since biker-style boots are usually oil-tanned, you will need the “oil” dye rather than the “leather” dye, which is used for ‘high shine” boots such as combat boots. Use a cotton dauber to apply the dye in small tapping motions. This takes time and the dye will dry fairly fast. Make sure you stuff the boots with newspaper before dying as the dye may bleed through.

(3) Let dry for several hours or overnight and then use Huberd’s shoe grease to condition the boots, working it in with your hands in several thin layers. Keep working it in until the leather won’t hold any more and then let the boots sit for a day. If there is excess grease, wipe it off with a clean cloth. If there is no excess grease, then work some more into the leather. Buff lightly once the boots no longer take in the shoe grease to a matte shine. It will not be the kind of high shine that holds a reflection but it will be pretty and the boots will feel silky.

(4) Make sure that you include the tongue of the boots at each step, including the buffing, and get new laces.

Bootblacks develop an individual style of polishing boots to a high shine or “spit” shine. I use the same method whether working on the boots at home or while someone is sitting in my chair. I prefer to use glycerin soap for no particular reason other than I like the way it lathers and it cleans my hands while I am working. Saddle soap usually includes one or more conditioners and, for me, that is not what I want. I want to control how much conditioner goes on the leather garment so I do not use saddle soap. The method I use is:

(1) Using spray bottle with water, spray boots and wipe down with a clean rag. Use a wet toothbrush to clean out along the tongue and along any stitching (around the sole of the boots). Then, use a soft round brush to work up a lather in the glycerin soap and spread the lather on the boot. Spray water on the lather on the boot, and wipe off with a cloth.

(2) Using fingers, rub over the top of the polish and apply a thin coat of wax polish all over the boot, then buff gently with a brush. Apply a second coat of the same color and buff again.

(3) Using fingers, apply a thin coat of neutral polish all over the boot, then buff gently with brush.

(4) If the person is going onto the stage, apply a coat of navy blue polish (instead of the neutral) and buff gently with brush. If the person is going to be marching in a parade or mainly remaining outside, apply a coat of cordovan or oxblood polish instead. These colors serve to reflect the sunlight better.

(5) Finally, apply a thin coat of the original color polish all over the boot, lightly spray some water on the toe, and buff gently with a brush. Follow up with either stockings or microfiber cloth for the final buff to a high shine, concentrating on the heels and toes.

For oil tanned boots while a person is wearing them and sitting in my chair, I use the following method to clean and condition such boots:

(1) Using spray bottle with water, spray boots and wipe down with a clean rag. Use a wet toothbrush to clean out along the tongue and along any stitching (around the sole of the boots). Then, use a soft round brush to work up a lather in the glycerin soap and spread the lather on the boot. Spray lather on boot with water and wipe off with a damp cloth.

(2) Using fingers, apply Huberd’s shoe grease all over the boot, working it into the leather and paying attention to any spots that seem overly dry to the touch.

(3) Massage the foot and leg, noting whether there are any tight muscles under the boot that need special attention. Check with the wearer as to whether they are enjoying the experience and wants more attention or is in a hurry to attend a class or to meet someone.

During the cleaning step, if there are threads hanging on a boot, use the lighter in your kit to burn them off. If there are divots or deep scuff marks, use Frankenpatch (a concoction created by Elegant) or hard heel ball wax to fill them in on high shine boots. Use the emery board or nail file to file down light scuff marks on either type of boots, or a piece of horn or bone to rub them out.

C. Service to the Leather community

A bootblack prides oneself on having the right tools to work on anything and anyone who sits in the chair. The only time a client is turned away is when that person violates the unwritten rule: Thou shalt not screw with a bootblack by ripping them off or crossing boundaries without permission. Not having the funds to tip a bootblack on a particular day or evening is not a problem if the client reveals prior to sitting in the chair that they lack the funds today but are willing to work something out. Barter is acceptable, as is talking to the bootblack about a delayed tip or service of another kind as payment for services rendered. A person who decides it will be exciting to push boundaries or limits on a bootblack, without asking permission of the bootblack or the owner of the bootblack, will suddenly discover they are unable to find an idle bootblack to work on any leather. The same thing happens when someone fails to tip or rips off a bootblack by using the ruse of needing change and “miscounting” the change received. The bootblack community is small within the United States and word spreads quickly. If there is no list of suggested donations, asking the bootblack is a quick way to learn the range of tips generally given for that particular event. A Leatherman or Leatherwoman who is unwilling to tip the bootblack should not sit in the chair. Economic hardship is understood by everyone; lack of generosity towards charities being ed by the bootblack stand is not acceptable. The charities benefit the Leather community and a stingy attitude is frowned upon.

This is a picture of one of my kits, affectionately known in the Mid-Atlantic community as the “kit from hell”.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Bootblacks and the Master/slave or Sir/boy Dynamic

One of the first things that happens when a slave or submissive discovers the need to be a bootblack is the Master or Sir discovers that they no longer are the center of that slave’s attention on a 24/7 basis. The submissive’s hunger to care for leather, both while the owner is wearing it as well as bringing it home for more intensive care or repair, is a strong one and not easily denied. Most bootblacks agree that the act of caring for leather helps to calm and center them, blocking out the stress and problems that may exist in other areas of the bootblack’s life. Bootblacking has a spiritual aspect that serves to feed the heart of a bootblack, whether slave or Master, boy or Sir. The Master or Sir of a bootblack will find that they no longer “own” the leather they have been wearing and, rather, may be urged to allow their bootblack to properly care for the leather, with gentle frowns for scuff marks on boots or food stains on vests. On the plus side, some very creative and sexually hot scenes occur between the bootblack and the Master or Sir they serve. The care of leather items while being worn by the Master or Sir can enhance the dynamic between them; emphasizing the service aspect of the bootblack in a sensuous and sexual manner that is very distinctive. If the bootblack is a Master or Sir, the slave or boy serving that bootblack will discover additional duties in service, including a requirement that they learn the technical skills of a bootblack even if they do not possess the ion for it. Bootblacks seldom have another person work on their boots so a slave or boy of a bootblack will need to enhance their skills to meet the level required by the Master or Sir. Scheduling of time and events can become a problem as a bootblack expresses

the desire to interact with other bootblacks in the community by attending bar nights at the local leather bars and even traveling to other cities or states to work as a bootblack at leather events. Time for travel and the cost of staying in a hotel are all factors to be considered and negotiated between a Master and slave (Sir and boy) when the slave or boy is a bootblack. There is the issue of the bootblack wanting to possess all of the latest trends in materials to work on boots and other leather items. The Master or Sir should consider imposing a budget on any trip to a “bootblack heaven” such as I. Sachs Associates in Chicago, Illinois. The smells of leather and materials to care for leather will often cause a bootblack to desire “one of everything” in the warehouse-sized establishment, causing financial hardship if not controlled. Finally, there is the issue of time for BDSM play between Master and slave (Sir and boy). A bootblack appearing at an event or conference will often feel the need to spend large amounts of time at the bootblack stand. The “itch” to work on leather at the event can overwhelm common sense to the point that some bootblacks will forget to eat, drink or take breaks to rest. It is not uncommon for a bootblack to sign a schedule for a two-hour shift and spend double that time because of requests by clients to have their leather worked on. Such tunnel vision will cut into the time spent with the non-bootblack in the relationship. If you are the Master or Sir, insist that the bootblack end the shift on time. A bootblack must have their other needs met in order to be fully functional as a slave or boy. This includes the need for BDSM play, if that is a part of the Master/slave (or Sir/boy) dynamic. Leave the bootblack kit at home and demand that the bootblack focus on you as Master or Sir for the duration of the party. You will both feel better when the focus of the bootblack is able to shift back to personal service to the Master or Sir and not serving the Leather community as a whole. Sir Tatsujin Paris and I started in a Master/slave dynamic. After several years, we realized that our dynamic had changed. Currently, it resembles the Sir/boy dynamic that is found in the gay Leather community. Sir Tatsujin Paris found that I would not use the term “Master” but, rather, called him “Sir” both in private and public. It became clear that he valued my opinions and that my growth as a bootblack had led me away from the position of “slave” and towards the position of “girl.” Because I am a femme bootblack, the use of the word “boy” does not make sense for me. While I do have a male persona that occasionally comes out to play when needed for a fundraiser, I am most often

wearing a corset, skirt and patterned stockings or pantyhose. I used to wear my hair very long (below the waistline) and calling me a “boy” would be silly. So, I am Girl Amelia, the femme bootblack who, on occasion, becomes Ricardo, the Boricua male who enjoys dancing to Santana and singing of his joy in females.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Running for a title—should you or shouldn’t you?

There are regional and international titles for which a bootblack may run, if they wish to do so. Unlike some other title contests, bootblacks who compete for a title do not generally engage in a cutthroat attitude about winning. In fact, if a bootblack is in need of something to properly work on a boot or other piece of leather during the competition, they only need to ask one of the other contestants to obtain the needed item. The bootblack community is a fraternity, with all working together to care for leather, and the sense of brotherhood is not put aside just because the bootblacks are competing for a title. The main issue to consider is whether you are ready to be “out” in the vanilla and kinky communities as a bootblack at either the regional or international levels. Competing and winning a title means that you will need a website for fundraising and informing sponsors of your activities as “their” bootblack. If you are okay with being open about being a bootblack, the next step is deciding which contest to enter. The regional contests generally demand that the competitor reside in the region to properly represent that area. Since the contest winner is expected to travel throughout the region to teach classes and appear at events as a titleholder, trying to compete and win outside of the region where you live makes no sense financially unless you are independently wealthy. The following is a list of contest and titleholders as far as I have been able to find them on the internet and talking to various people in the Leather community. I apologize in advance if I have missed any contests or titleholders.

International Contests:

International Mr. Bootblack (IMrBB) International Ms. Bootblack (IMsBB) International Community Bootblack (ICBB) Drummer North America Bootblack (DNABB)

Regional/Local Level:

Alaska State Bootblack Australian Bootblack Atlantic States Community Bootblack Bluegrass Leather Pride Bootblack Bluegrass Leather Weekend Legacy Bootblack Toronto California Bootblack Carolina Bootblack Central Plains Community Bootblack Colorado Bootblack Columbia Community Bootblack Florida Community Bootblack

Great Lakes Bootblack Great Plains Bootblack Gulf Coast Community Bootblack Illinois Community Bootblack Michigan Community Bootblack Mid Atlantic Community Bootblack Mid Atlantic Drummer Bootblack Mid Atlantic Leather Woman Bootblack Missouri Valley Drummer Bootblack Northern California Bootblack Northern Plains Community Bootblack Northeast Community Bootblack Northwest Community Bootblack Ohio Bootblack Oklahoma Bootblack Oregon State Bootblack Pacific West Bootblack Philadelphia Bootblack Rocky Mountain Community Bootblack Rocky Mountain Drummer Bootblack San Diego Bootblack

South Africa Bootblack South Central Community Bootblack Southeast Bootblack Southern California Community Bootblack Southern California bootblack Southern Nevada Bootblack Southeast Community Bootblack Southwest Community Bootblack Southeast Conference of Clubs (SECC) Bootblack Southwest Bootblack Southeast Community Bootblack Sydney Bootblack Washington State Bootblack

Titleholders

International Mr. Bootblack:

David Morgan—1993 William Shields, Jr.—1994 Tim Cousins—1995

Todd Nelson—1996 Driller—1997 Matthew Duncan—1998 Robert Ehrlich—1999 David Hawks—2000 Paksen—2001 Michael Lanzini—2002 Richie Chameroy—2003 Alan Tunstall—2004 Boo Boo—2005 Benjamin Palmer—2006 Spot—2007 Bootdog—2008 McG—2009 Tim Starkey—2010 Jim Deuder—2011 Nick Elliott—2012 Sam Sklover—2013 Scout—2014 Joe (Bamm-Bamm) Carpenter—2015 Erick Joseph—2016

Ryan (Pawlish) Garner Carpenter—2017 Kriszly De Hond—2019

International Ms. Bootblack:

Leslie Anderson—1999 Michael Ann—2000 (first femme bootblack) Charlie Flake—2001 Kari—2002 slaveboi eddie—2003 Izzy—2004 suka—2005 Alex Bettencourt—2006 Ms. V—2007 Q—2008 Pony—2009 Jayson DaBoi—2010 kd—2011 Tarna—2012 Bootblack Bella—2013 Dara Bryant—2014

slave Tabitha Arie—2015 Meghan—2016 Elisa—2017 Teagan—2018

International Community Bootblack:

Boi Gwen Hardy—2003 Spencer “Cub” Jasper—2004 Shawn Patrick Finnerty—2005 Henry James—2006 boyjean—2007 Black-Jack Pearce—2008 Syr Evan—2009 Redwarrior—2010 Luna SF—2011 Ruin Awaits—2012 Paul William Grossart—2013 Boy Ed Davis—2014 Briar Wood—2015 Boy Patrick—2016

Boy John Urso—2017 Raymond Smith—2018

Drummer North America Bootblack

Puppeh Scuff—2015 Boy Tig—2017

Alaska State Bootblack

Erick Joseph—2015 Danny Pup Rebel—2016 Panda Pup—2017 Gretchen—2018

Australian Bootblack

Rhys—2017

Blue Grass Leather Pride Bootblack

Gabriel Majors—2011 Meghan Bootblack—2015 Raymond Smith—2017

Bootblack Toronto:

Ian “black” Turner—2002 Kathryn “boi joe” Hunter—2003 slaveboy dave—2004 Ron “cub” Tummon—2005 boy alex dunlop—2006 Diana “Eli” Campanero—2007 Jack “Black-Jack” Pearce—2008 McG—2009 bootboy digger—2010 slave-boy jake—2011 Tarna—2012

California Region Community Bootblack:

Blast—2009

Luna SF—2011

Central Plains Region Bootblack:

boy blu—2009 Angela—2011 Sir Loki—2012

Colorado Bootblack

Foxfire—2012 Eric Sumner—2013 Random Bootblack—2016 Bootblack Knight—2017

Columbia Community Bootblack

Shaun Patric—2005 Scout—2006

Denver Bootblack:

Jareth—2008

Florida Community Bootblack

Boi Jen—2011 Jessica Blast—2013 Amanda Porter—2016

Great Plains Bootblack:

Cub Spencer—2004 Keith Heisz—2005 girl merrie—2006 boy elena—2008 and 2009

Great Lakes Bootblack:

Cristo—2002 Izzy Jaecks—2003 Boo Boo—2004

Alex Betancourt—2005 Spot—2006 boy elena—2007 Riley—2008 Trooper—2009 and 2010 Piglet—2011 Bella—2012 Bootblack Kai—2013 Marta—2014 Meghan—2015 Elisa Vegas—2016 Raymond Smith—2017

Gulf Coast Community Bootblack:

Fred—2008 Syr Evan—2009 Kristen—2010 Brenton—2011 and 2012 Brooklyn Davenport—2013

Illinois Community Bootblack

Pup Astro—2012 and 2013 Dire Berrios—2014 Sparkie—2015

Kentucky Bootblack:

Pony—2006 Bella—2009 Gabriel Majors/Piglet—2011

Michigan Community Bootblack:

Elisa—2015

Mid-Atlantic Bootblack/Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack:

Tracey Black—1999 David Hawks—2000 Paksen Burrell—2001

Kari Lavecchia—2002 Cristo—2003 Spanky—2004 boy robi—2005 Eric—2007 David—2008 Brandon Riley—2009 Boy Andersen—2010 Leo Mason—2011 Raquel—2012 Girl Amelia—2013 Boy Ed Davis—2014

Atlantic States Bootblack (replacing Mid-Atlantic Community Bootblack in ICBB contest):

Ryder – 2019, 2020 Boy John Urso—2016 Callie Girl—2017

Mid-Atlantic Drummer Bootblack:

Brian Hilla—2016

Mid-Atlantic Leatherwoman Bootblack:

Wykkid Jade—2016 Bumper Bootblack—2017

Missouri Valley Drummer Bootblack

Scott Bullock—2016

North Carolina Bootblack:

Tidbit—2012

Northern California Bootblack:

boyjean—2007 David Shorey—2008 Scout—2013

Northern Plains Community Bootblack

Mike—2011

Northeast Community Bootblack:

Kyle—2009 Trevor—2010 Jay—2011 and 2012 Bootblack Pup Philthy—2013

Northwest Community Bootblack:

Shawn Patrick Finnerty—2005 Henry—2006 Shell—2008 Diamond Jack—2009 Scout—2010 Dylan—2011 Ruin Awaits—2012

Paul William Grossart—2013

Ohio Bootblack

Zach Bellman—2014 Chrissi—2015 Kiltgrrl—2016 and 2017

Oklahoma Bootblack

Boy Colt—2017

Oregon State Bootblack

Nick Elliott—2011 Sam Sklover—2012 Dara Bryant—2013 Mickey Rebel—2015 Eric Windham—2016 Jax Black—2017

Pacific West Bootblack

Bootdog—2004

Philadelphia Bootblack

Victor Bernacki—1999 Wykked Jade—2015 Sir Kim—2016 Cherry Bomb—2017

Rocky Mountain Community Bootblack:

Jareth—2012

Rocky Mountain Drummer Bootblack:

Boy Tig—2016 Pup Frisco—2017

San Diego Bootblack:

Snowy Boots—2014 Erik Thomas—2016 Red—2017

South Africa Bootblack:

Bootblack Nona—2016

South Carolina Leather Bootblack:

Pat R.—2010

South Central Community Bootblack:

Darin—2005 Greg—2006 boycat—2007 Briar Wood—2015 Keegan Christopher—2016 Suzzie Snowflake—2017

SouthEast Community Bootblack/Southeast Leather Bootblack:

Elegant—2005 and 2006 Q—2007 Boy Andy/Girl Commando—2008 Chris—2009 Margaret—2009 and 2010 [SouthEast Leather] Redwarrior—2010 [SouthEast] Boy dave—2011 and 2012 [SouthEast] Girl Dale—2012 and 2013 Jackie Maxwell—2014 (SouthEast Leather) Brit N Boots—2014 Marcie Friday—2015 (SouthEast Leather) Tori Jones—2016 (SouthEast Leather) Coco—2017 (SouthEast Leather)

South East Conference of Clubs (SECC) Bootblack:

Kat Vago—2015

Southern California Bootblack:

Curtis—2008 Danielle—2015 Teagon Bootblack—2016 Caitlin Bootblack—2017

Southern Nevada Bootblack:

Paradox—2017

Southwest Community Bootblack/Southwest Bootblack:

Steven Hagen—2005 Henry James—2006 boi moe—2007 Kiddo—2008 slave tabitha—2009 Cobi—2010 Bear—2012 Kyle—2013

Treasure—2013 (Southwest) Angel—2014 (Southwest) Cherielle—2015 Bootblack Shelly—2015 (Southwest) Garrette—2016 Xiayoi—2016 (Southwest) Teagon Bootblack—2017 (Southwest)

Sydney Bootblack:

Ben T—2016

Washington State Bootblack:

Becca Bee—2014 Beau King—2015 Brynn Beitzel—2016 Caleb Kohute—2017

I have tried to track down as many titleholders as I could and extend apologies to anyone I may have missed. It was not intentional or an act of disrespect; merely that I was not able to locate any reference to you as a bootblack titleholder.

CHAPTER NINE

Tales from the Bootblack stand

I have had the pleasure of learning the history of boots and other leather garments from those who sat in my chair. I would like to share some of my experiences as a bootblack. In each case, I was using my hands on the leather item to establish a connection with the person wearing it:

South East Leather Fest 2010 (Atlanta, Georgia):

An exotic dancer who was presenting a class on pole dancing asked if I would work on her new leather corset. She was petite and the corset gave her almost a wasp waist. She had never been worked on by a bootblack and itted she had no idea what to do or how it would be for her. I stripped off the protective finish on the corset by cleaning it with glycerin soap and then proceeded to use Huberd’s shoe grease to condition it. She held onto the back of a chair as I worked on the corset and, because of the enjoyment we both were getting out of the situation, I continued to rub the corset (and her body inside of it!) for about 45 minutes. When we were finished, one of the people who had been watching commented that it was one of the most erotic scenes he had ever witnessed, in spite of the fact that we both were fully clothed.

Master/slave Conference 2010 (Washington DC):

A pro Domme sat down with a pair of black leather opera gloves and asked if I could do anything with them. The tips of the fingers were grey and the leather was dry. I cleaned them gently and then used some black Meltonian shoe cream on the tips to bring back the color. I used Huberd’s shoe grease to condition the rest of the gloves, working it in and massaging each finger and her forearms while she was wearing them. She told me that she had inherited the gloves from her mother, who would let her wear them while she was playing dress up as a little girl. The opera gloves were about 60 years old and held the history of her mother, as well as her own history as a child and an adult pro Domme.

Sexy Santa 2010 (Asbury Park, New Jersey)

A bear of a man sat in my chair with some very dusty oil-tanned boots. He grumbled something about there not being a bootblack at the event in some time and I assured him that I would do my best to make his boots look good. I cleaned them and began working in some Chelsea Leather Food because the leather was very dry. After a bit of time, I heard him snoring! He was so relaxed from the massage on his feet that he had fallen asleep. I grinned and woke him up when I felt that the boots had taken as much conditioning as was possible without making other clients wait too long. Another customer wanted to have his leather pants conditioned for the parade the next day. I cleaned them and then began working on the pants with Huberd’s shoe grease, massaging his leg muscles and neglecting no part of the pants, including the groin area. After working on his pants for about 15 minutes, he was happy with their condition, stating, “That was the best sex I’ve had with my clothes on in six months!” I was very pleased with the compliment.

New Year’s Eve Command MC Party 2010—Triple L, Baltimore, Maryland

A boy sat in my chair, not at all sure he wanted to be there but obeying the Sir who ordered him to do so. It was clear to me that the Sir was not his SIR but a kind Sir who had taken this boy under his wing. I looked at the shoes the boy was wearing and it was obvious that those shoes were too big for him and not his. As I started working on them, the boy told me that his SIR had ed away a few months ago and this was his first time out of the house since the funeral. The boy told me he was wearing his SIR’s shoes to feel a little better about being out of the house and a tear fell down his cheek. I looked down and worked on his shoes, massaging his feet in those too-big shoes, trying to convey with my hands a feeling of peace and hiding my own tears. The boy commented he had never had someone work on shoes while he was wearing them before and that it felt good. By the time he left my chair, the boy was smiling at me and he thanked me for the work. The Sir gave him money to tip me and smiled at both of us, happy that this boy he had taken in was able to release some of his grief and enjoy the party around him.

Philadelphia Hoedown (LGBT groups) 2011—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It was interesting being at a non-Leather/non-kinky event as a bootblack. The people attending the swing dance weekend were not aware of the difference between getting their boots “shined” and sitting in a bootblack’s chair. The Bootblack Brigade had there on Friday and Saturday during the day and until late in the evenings. At first, the attendees looked at the stands and my huge kit, wondering what was going on. The attendees were more than generous in their tips once they realized that half was going to a local LGBT charity. Over and over again, I heard the words, “This is not what I was expecting. I don’t understand what this is but it feels wonderful and I hope to see you again.” I worked on my first two pairs of full quill ostrich skin cowboy boots, which was amazing for both me and the people wearing them. A member of a competition team approached me and asked if I would “temporarily” dye her white boots shiny black to match her team mates. Since

dying leather is never temporary, I stared at my kit, looking for a solution. A roll of shiny black electrical tape caught my eye and I used it to cover the white toe of her boots, which was the only part that stuck out from under her pants legs. She was happy with the results and came back to my stand for removal of the tape and conditioning the white boots after her competition.

Philadelphia Leather Pride Weekend 2012—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I was working during the auction to raise funds for a local charity. Mistress Mir asked me to work on her boots and Mama Viola Johnson noted that there were some spots on Mistress Mir’s pants, which were partially leather and partially cloth material. I worked on the knee-high boots first and then worked on the leather patches on her thighs, massaging the muscles underneath the leather. Once I was finished and Mistress Mir stepped out of the chair, she kissed my left breast above the corset. She then moved up to my neck and began feeding on me. My knees buckled and Mama Vi came up behind me to help hold me up and to enjoy the play from behind me. Being the meat in such a sandwich was overwhelming and so much fun!

The Leather Central 2012—Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Matthew Mid-Atlantic Leatherman 2012 was in the club while I was working a bar night to raise funds for a friend’s travel fund as a titleholder. Matthew smiled as he wondered aloud if I would really work on ALL of the leather he was wearing that night. I smiled back and assured him that all of his leather would be cared for, including the leather jockstrap he was wearing. We ended with both of us grinning with joy and the people around us were laughing.

Private Party as a presenter on bootblack skills—Baltimore, Maryland

Master West agreed to be the person on whose leather pants I would demonstrate how to care for garments to the persons attending the party. The party was specifically for men of color and food and drinks were available, as well as skill demonstrations. I had cleaned the leather pants and was working in conditioner, after obtaining consent to “touch” all of the areas covered by the pants. Suddenly, I heard Master West repeating to himself in louder and louder tones: “Dead puppies, dead puppies, DEAD PUPPIES!” His eyes were closed and I whispered to his submissive, “Is everything okay? Should I stop?” The submissive started snickering and said, “He’s okay. He’s just trying not to come in his pants!” I giggled and warned Master West, “I take full responsibility for what I do on the outside of your pants, Sir, but anything on the inside is up to you to handle!” Everyone in the room burst out laughing and the demonstration was deemed a hit.

Various events in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region

People who have neuropathy in their feet and legs will sit in my stand with oiltanned boots from time to time. I will clean them and then use a conditioner (Huberd’s, Chelsea Leather Food, or another product depending on the state in which the leather is at the time). While working the conditioner into the leather, I massage the feet and calves of the person in the chair, paying attention to any areas that the person indicates are most in need of care. A client once joked, “Where is the slot to put in quarters for additional time on the massage?” I laughed and said they could return for another session if needed but others were waiting for their turn to sit in the chair. I have had persons who wanted their boots or shoes worked but they were physically unable to sit in the chair on the bootblack stand. On one occasion, I worked on a person’s boots as they sat in their wheelchair and enjoyed the work I was doing.

On another occasion, a Leatherman who was totally blind sat in the chair I used, while I sat on the floor. I teased him that he should direct his guide dog to go around any sand on the ground so his shoes would remain clean. I did not realize until later that he was the keynote speaker for the conference that day.

CHAPTER TEN

Final Thoughts

I have written this book to bring together in one place as much information as I could find about the history of bootblacking, as well as answering some questions of my own and those I have overheard from others within the Leather and kinky communities. I will not pretend that it is an encyclopedic work on the development of modern bootblacks but I believe that it is comprehensive in scope. I hope that the reader learns enough to go on a search for more information and perhaps a journey of discovery that ends in a new bootblack finding their ion for this art. I welcome those who wish to learn any aspects of the craft of being a bootblack, even if it is not as a service to the community as a whole. Caring for the boots and leathers of ones Sir or Master is just as important and, in my opinion, is an integral part of the service that should be offered by a boy or slave that is in that dynamic. I started this journey as a Leatherwoman late in life. I knew at a very young age that I was not “normal” and, in fact, I believed that I was a boy whose body was incomplete for much of my childhood. I was very much the “tomboy” and, in spite of having long hair, I was more comfortable being a part of the war games played by the boys than attempting to blend in with the girls. I never felt at home there and failed to understand how the girls my age thought and felt. Boys, in my mind, were easy to understand: If I want it, I work for it and claim it as mine. I worked hard to be a part of the boys who gathered in the neighborhoods where I lived. As a military “brat,” I moved around a lot before the age of 11 years, by which time both of my parents died and I landed in the foster care system. The girls were a mystery to me and I was most deeply flummoxed when I witnessed my first “cat fight.” The two girls were “best friends” but stood there slapping each other, pulling their hair out, and screaming

obscenities. By contrast, the boys in the street gang I ed as a child would gather together for a brawl, fists connecting with body and face until the leaders of the packs called a halt or the police came and we scattered. I was “beaten into” the pack as a boy and given a boy’s name. The girls in the pack hated me since the leader had declared me off limits for any sexual play unless I initiated it as a boy. I was comfortable with that situation and, because I found none of the girls attractive, I did not approach any of them for sex. I was stunned when I hit puberty at almost 16 years old and was given proof beyond doubt that I was female bodied and not a “late bloomer” as a male. I did not know about transgender folks then and I accepted what I believed was my fate and learned to deal with my female body. However, I spent years dressing very masculine, wearing shirts with French cuffs and ties as a part of my suit for court appearances. I did not become a femme until Sir decided he was not pleased with my appearance and ordered me to dress in feminine attire at all times. I have grown comfortable with dressing as femme, although I do enjoy very much when I am permitted to let Ricardo come out in all of his glory. Because of my late start in the Leather community, I grabbed with both hands the idea of being a bootblack, learning everything I could about it and finding that it fit a hole in my soul that I did not know existed. When I work on leather at an event, I feel complete. Working on the leather of a Leatherman or Leatherwoman gives me such joy and I try to spread that joy to the person in my chair, as well as to those whom I mentor. The gender or sexual orientation of the person I am working on does not matter to me; giving that person a good time and leather gear in good condition is what is important to me. I love the fact that my hands on the leather chaps or pants of a Leatherman can give him sexual satisfaction and the fact that the act will be completed by another Leatherman is a source of pleasure to me. For me, being a bootblack is a way to be of service to the Leather and LGBTQ community. It is also one of the few times that I feel that I have a purpose and a place within that community; that I am seen as one who has something to give and that there is a meaning to my existence. I enjoy the irony that those who call me “Bootblack Mama” are, in fact, young enough to be my children and sometimes my grandchildren. I relish the time I spend with each person who sits in my chair. I feel needed and I can forget the fact that I am blind and hearing impaired. I am just Amelia, the barefoot bootblack, and the one who is making you feel good as I care for your leather.

Namaste. Live long and prosper!

APPENDIX A

The Independent Shoe-Black

A LONG and uneven war has been waged for many years between the various of the shoe-blacking fraternity. The factions that divide those who look to our boots for a mode of livelihood are wonderfully numerous. There are boys who maintain that no able-bodied man should seek to clean boots, that this work should be monopolized by children. Others, on the contrary, urge that the street should be free to all, and that if an able-bodied man chooses to devote himself to the art of blacking boots, as a free British subject, he has a right to follow this or any other calling, however humble it may be. Probably he is not fitted for anything better; and if so, it is to the interest of the community that he should be allowed to do, at least, that which he feels disposed to attempt. A third party will re that this is altogether a false theory, that men who are capable of more worthy work should not be allowed to degrade themselves by menial offices,-a principle which, however, if universally applied, would soon revolutionize the whole face of society. So far as the London boot-blacks are concerned, this principle has, nevertheless, been carried out to a very great extent. The police authorities have taken upon themselves to interfere, indeed to destroy, the freedom of trade in the matter of cleaning gentlemen’s boots, and the independent boot-black is consequently treated by the authorities as if he was little better than a smuggler. Useful, though perhaps unfair, patronage is accorded to the of the Boot-black Brigades. These are the orthodox or legitimate boot-blacks, and they consequently find favour in the eyes of the police. The policeman, who is essentially a lover of order, an irer of discipline, cannot understand why, if a boy wants to manipulate brush and blacking for a living, he should not one of the brigades. He is likely to forget that the real attraction of street life, the one advantage it offers in exchange for all the hardships and poverty to be endured, is precisely that sense of independence and absence from discipline which no member of the brigade can enjoy. The shoe-black brigades, though excellent institutions, have decidedly tresed on the freedom of street industries. Their organized and disciplined boys have the monopoly of various “beats” and “pitches” given them, and their exclusive right to clean boots in the streets or at the corners in question is rigorously enforced by the police. Yet, notwithstanding such privileges, the brigades are unpopular among the classes they are supposed to serve, and this opinion I find confirmed by the last Annual Report of the Ragged School Union.

The author of this Report qualifies results achieved in the year 1876 as a success, because the number of boys employed in the nine societies has been augmented to the extent of twelve recruits! In this huge metropolis, with its rapidlyincreasing population-in a year, too, of commercial depression, when the poor are naturally driven to such expedients-only twelve new boys were found willing to the nine different societies. An augmentation of one and one-quarter of a boy per society during twelve months cannot be qualified as a success. The Boot-blacking Brigade movement was started in 1851, when 36 boys were enrolled, and they earned during the year £650. After labour extending over the whole metropolis, and unceasingly pursued during a quarter of a century, the number of boys has been increased to 385, and their annual earnings to £12,062. During the twenty-five years the boys have earned altogether £170,324; and the average benefits per week accruing to each boy, last year, amounted to twelve shillings. Considering the enormous influence brought to bear, the subscriptions, the patronage of the public, who generally prefer employing a boy wearing the brigade uniform, and, finally, the protection these boys receive from the police, I do not think that the above statistics are satisfactory. That independent bootblacks should still be able and willing to wage war against the brigade boys, though the latter have every advantage, demonstrates how unpopular the movement is among the poor themselves. There is also the feeling that, if a boy is willing and sufficiently steady to submit to the discipline enforced by the managers of the brigades, he is worthy of some better employment than that of cleaning boots in the streets. This should be left to those who are less fortunate by reason of the bad education they have received, the bad instincts they have, through no fault of their own, inherited from vicious parents, and the disorderly disposition engendered by the bad company with which they have been surrounded from their youth upwards. In great towns, at least, there are always a large number of persons whom strict moralists-men who judge a fellow-man by his deeds, instead of taking into his disposition and his surroundingswould condemn as altogether hopeless. Yet these persons, who are unfit for any good or steady work, must nevertheless live; if not in the streets, then, probably, in prison, or in the workhouse. But assuredly, instead of being ed by the rates or the taxes, it would be preferable that these unreliable and almost useless of society should earn their living by cleaning boots, or carrying boards, or by any other similar catch-penny menial work. The police, however, are determined to debar this class from the free exercise of boot-cleaning in the streets.

An independent boot-black who has not secured a license—for which, by the way, he must pay five shillings a year when, if ever, he does obtain it—is severely handled by the police. They will not allow him to stand in one place. If he deposits his box on the pavement, the policeman will kick it out in the street, among the carriages, where it will probably be broken, and the blacking spilt. The independent boot-black must be always on the move, carrying his box on his shoulders, and only putting it down when he has secured a customer. Even then, I have known cases of policemen who have interfered, and one actually kicked the box away from a gentleman’s foot, while he was in the act of having his boots cleaned. This excess of authority was, I believe, illegal; and, I am glad to say, justly resented by the gentleman in question, who insisted that the independent boot-black should continue his work, and defied the police to arrest him. The policeman had evidently exceeded his orders, and this was proved by the fact that he did not dare accept the gentleman’s challenge. Of course, if the shoe-black, though not belonging to a brigade, possesses a licence, he may do as he chooses, and need fear no interference, but the difficulty is to procure a licence. The police do not, I believe, absolutely refuse to give a licence to an able-bodied man, but they contrive to keep him waiting so long, probably twelve months, that he generally gives up the attempt, and turns his attention to some other sort of work, or else goes out with brush and blacking, but without the licence, and submits to the ill-treatment that results. On the other hand, an old man, a cripple, an infirm man, or youth who can draw up a petition and obtain the signature of four householders, will receive immediate attention at Scotland Yard, and have a licence given him gratuitously and without any delay. This clearly proves that the police seek, as far as they can, to make the cleaning of boots in the streets a matter of privilege, and to reserve that privilege for the exclusive use of of the brigades, or for old men and cripples. Such a policy, which has certainly many reasons in its favour, has not, however, been brought into force without considerable opposition. The independent bootblack, whose photograph is before the reader, found by experience that the system instituted was not altogether pleasant. He has served in two brigades, the “blues” and the “reds,” and found them both equally objectionable; so, at last, he gave up the uniform, and became an independent boot-black. In this capacity, though free, he experienced all the persecutions to which I have alluded, and as he grew older and more tired of this life, he finally resolved to leave the narrow streets for the broader thoroughfares of the ocean. As a sailor, he promises to become a useful help to his captain and ship. His mother has to nurse an invalid husband, and must also provide for a large family. Under these circumstances, it

was not always easy for her to spare the services of her son. But when he became an independent boot-black, he could go out at his own hours, and thus was of greater use to his mother in her trouble; and it was a great help to the family to know that whenever the boy had a few moments to spare, he might run out and hope to gain some pence by cleaning gentlemen’s boots. The police have not been uniformly successful in stamping out unlicensed shoeblacks. In some cases the tradesmen came out of their shops and spoke in their favour; they objected that the shoe-black had been standing outside their doors for many years, was well known to the neighborhood, had proved himself useful in running errands, or lent his aid to put up the shutters in the evening, and that, consequently, the policeman would oblige them by leaving him alone. There are, therefore, a few independent boot-blacks who lead an easy life, and whom the police refrain from molesting, but these are the exception. Taking a broad view of the question, I may safely repeat that the freedom of trade has, in this respect, been destroyed. Only boys of the brigades and old men and cripples are welcome to practice the art of cleaning boots in the streets of the metropolis.

A.S. From “Street Life in London” by J. Thompson and Adolphe Smith, 1877.

APPENDIX B

The Dramatic Shoe-Black

JACOBUS PARKER, Dramatic Reader, Shoe-Black, and Peddler, is represented in the accompanying photograph standing at his accustomed “pitch.” Although the career of Parker has been clouded, and his life-story is one of struggle and disappointment, yet he has fought the battle bravely, and, as a veteran, is not without his scars. “There is one thing I am proud of” said Parker, one day; “I am near three-score years and ten, have fought life’s battle and won, and will carry with me to the end its chief prizes—a hale heart and a contented mind.” “Greed of gain, sir, has never been my motto. It is but a poor object to fill up every nook and cranny of a human heart from boyhood to old age, as it does with many.” Again, in his own words, “I have always advocated temperance and detested drunkenness.* (*The quotations were jotted down at they were uttered) ‘In my youth I never did apply hot and rebellious liquor to my blood, nor did, with unbashful forehead, woo the means of weakness and debility.’ Ah, sir, I have seen wine make woeful wrecks of men and women too, recalling the powerful lines, ‘Oh! thou invisible spirit of drink, if thou hast no other name to go by, let us call thee Devil.’ “Rumty,” to use the cognomen by which Parker is known to a wide circle of poor friends and patrons, made a fair start in life. His father, he assures me, was a sort of private gentleman having some means at his disposal. One brother served his country in the army, another followed the law as a profession, while our hero was apprenticed to a wholesale stationer in the city, his father paying a to his master. Beyond this Parker appears to have received no further pecuniary aid, so that when he completed his term of apprenticeship he had to make his way in the world single-handed. At this point in his career he had a number of business associates, but the ties that bound them together were soon broken, and their paths diverged. Some he lost sight of, others he ed least likely to succeed carved out their fortunes for themselves while he became a journeyman vellum-binder. In this capacity he obtained work in different parts of England, and at last succeeded in getting a post as vellum-binder in the Stationery Department of the Treasury Office. He held this position under the Government contractor for nearly twenty-two years: but to continue our narrative in his own words:“At this time, I may say, I lay in clover. Like all gentlemen who labour under the wings of Government, I enjoyed short hours, and a very fair salary. My hours were from about ten to four. I cannot say I was over provident, otherwise I might

have saved a trifle of money. I strove, however blindly, to make the most of the present, by devoting my leisure to the drama. I became acquainted with a distinguished prompter in one of the London theatres, and forthwith entered upon an after-hour dramatic career, while still in the Treasury in 1846. I appeared in ‘Green Bushes’ and ‘St. George and the Dragon’ at the Adelphi, as a super, of course; but I soon rose to be St. Philip of Spain in’ St. George and the Dragon.’ I must tell you I had previously appeared in Shakspearian characters at other theatres. But in Othello I came totally to grief, and quitted the stage for a term, until, indeed, I made the acquaintance of the prompter. Another painful circumstance occurred. I had risen unaided to perform Hamlet’s ghost. It was a packed house, and somehow I made a fatal blunder in pronouncing one word. In place of saying ‘The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,’ I said ‘The glowworm shows the mating to be near.’ This was my first and last appearance as ghost, and you may be sure I got full credit for this original rendering of Shakspeare. I had my successes, too, I ; one evening when the ‘Mysterious Stranger’ was on, the gentleman who had to play the corporal on duty failed to appear. The manager was in a fix, until, at the last moment, I volunteered for his part. I had only a few words to say in addressing the dealer in forged ports, but it was a success. After that I became a dramatic reader, got myself up in ‘Goldsmith’s Deserted Village,’ and, in the costume of the period, personating Oliver himself. This brought me before many literary circles in different parts of London and its suburbs, but the pay was little better than that of a super. “Suddenly I fell ill, lost the sight of my left eye, and had to leave my regular work at the Treasury. After partial recovery I went to Liverpool, to try my fortune there; but found no demand for my services as a workman or as a reader. Coming again to London I hoped to my son, who was a bookbinder; this, too, proved a failure, as he, poor fellow, had a wife and young family to . I felt I was a burden to him, and cleared out. Age, poor health, and feeble sight told on me woefully; there was work for younger and stronger men, and my onesided experience in the Treasury had done me no good as a workman. At last, sir, from sheer necessity, I drifted into Lambeth workhouse. I have nothing to say against such public asylums; they are a great boon to those who cannot help themselves, and many a poor soul in this city would be in a sad plight but for their aid. It galled my proper pride, however, and it is painful for a man who has had anything like decent training to have to herd with worthless, profligate, and abandoned paupers. When I regained my strength I determined to try to earn a living by reading and reciting, as you will see from this card.

The card in question was inscribed with the name Jacobus Parker, Dramatic Reader, accompanied by a quotation from the Parochial Critic, which ran thus:-

“June 6th, 1871.

“An inmate of Lambeth Workhouse, Jacobus Parker, well known to the guardians, has taken his discharge, and is trying to earn a living by reciting portions of Shakspeare’s plays. He has an excellent voice, capable of considerable modulation and expression. He is ing under the appellation of Jacobus Parker.” “Although,” continued Parker, “I was dubbed by my irers, ‘William Shakspeare,’ I did not confine myself to the works alone of the great dramatist, but recited as well portions from Burns, Thomson, Bloomfield, &c. My chief successes were in the ‘Carpenters’ Arms,’ William Street, Kennington, where I have entertained many a gathering of my ers. I still have what I call my Shakspearian cloak, and can give you, old as I am, a Shakspearian evening whenever you choose. “Now, I am stationed as a shoe-black, at your service, armed with a peddler’s licence. I get along fairly well. My pride, perhaps, stands in my way; and were it not for the unsought kindness of my landlady I would fair badly at times. “I occupy a little room, a garret, all my own, for which I pay half-a-crown weekly. I suffer some annoyance from the brainless practical jokes of a pack of loafers, who have respect neither for old age nor poverty. To tell you the truth, when I think of my past and present, I am surprised to find myself so happy and contented. My only care is to earn enough to carry me through to the close of each day. I have no bills to meet-no taxes save my licence—no burdens except old age, and that hangs lightly on my shoulders. I quite endorse the sentiment, ‘True hope ne’er tires, but mounts on eagle’s wings, kings it makes gods, and meaner creatures kings.’ Thank God, mean as I am, I am blessed with that princely inheritance, hope, and with what the wealth of kings cannot secure, contentment. “I have not told you that I was mainly indebted for my rescue from the

Workhouse to the kindness of the Ex-Premier, Mr. Gladstone. I wrote to him, and he replied at once to me, a pauper, in a manner so kind that ‘it brought my heart to my mouth.’ He also sent his secretary to inquire into my case, and the result was a prompt grant of /10 from the Queen’s bounty. This started me in the street, where I have since continued to earn a living. “A shilling a day is about my average net profit; on Sundays I make a trifle over. Sunday morning brings me sundry boots to shine. But if I could get a half-crown reading once a week, I would gladly cut the Sunday work. I am not above cleaning Christian boots on Sunday, yet I would fain rest from my labours. “Should any of your readers want a Shakespearian evening, I will get my cloak repaired, and rest on the Lord’s Day.”

From “Street Life in London” by J. Thompson and Adolphe Smith, 1877

APPENDIX C

Section 19. The aldermen or selectmen may make regulations consistent with the general laws relative to the exercise of the trade of bootblacking by minors, and to the sale or barter by minors of any goods, wares or merchandise the sale of which is permitted without a license by section seventeen, and may prohibit such trade or such sales, or may require a minor to obtain from them a permit therefor to be issued on and conditions prescribed in such regulations; provided, that in the case of girls under the age of eighteen years and of boys under the age of sixteen years the foregoing powers in cities shall be vested in and exercised by the school committee. No permit issued to a minor under this section nor badge issued to him under sections sixty-nine to seventy-three, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-nine shall authorize the sale by a minor of any article, other than those which may be sold without a license under section seventeen, except that a badge so issued may authorize, in addition, the sale of magazines and other periodicals and song sheets, so called. A minor who sells such article or exercises such trade without a permit, if one is required, or who violates the conditions of his permit or any provision of said regulations, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten dollars. (ed 6/10/11 from http://law.onecle.com/massachusetts/101/19.html)

Massachusetts General Laws:

Chap. 0349 An act relating to hawkers and pedlers.

Be it enacted, etc., as follows:

Section 1. Section fifteen of chapter one hundred and one of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out, in the second and third lines, the words “having a permanent place of business in the commonwealth and”,—so as to read as follows:—Section 15. The provisions of this chapter relating to hawkers and pedlers shall not apply to wholesalers or jobbers selling to dealers only, nor to commercial agents or other persons selling by sample, lists, catalogues or otherwise for future delivery, nor to any person who peddles only fish obtained by his own labor or that of his family, fruits, vegetables or other farm products raised or produced by himself or his family, nor to persons selling articles for charitable purposes under section thirty-three.

Section 2. Said chapter one hundred and one is hereby further amended by striking out section sixteen and inserting in place thereof the following:— Section 16. The sale by hawkers or pedlers of jewelry, furs, wines or spirituous liquors is prohibited.

Section 3. Said chapter one hundred and one, as amended in section seventeen by chapter two hundred and eighty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-three and by section one of chapter one hundred and eighty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-seven, is hereby further amended by striking out said section seventeen and inserting in place thereof the following: —Section 17. Hawkers and pedlers may sell without a license newspapers, ice, flowering plants, and such flowers, fruits, nuts and berries as are wild or uncultivated. The aldermen or selectmen may by regulations, not inconsistent with this chapter, regulate the sale or barter, and the carrying for sale or barter or exposing therefor, by hawkers and pedlers, of said articles without the payment of any fee; may in like manner require hawkers and pedlers of meats, butter, cheese, fish, and fresh fruit or vegetables to be licensed except as otherwise provided, and may make regulations governing the same, provided that the license fee does not exceed that prescribed by section twenty-two for a license embracing the same territorial limits; and may in like manner affix penalties for violations of such regulations not to exceed the sum of twenty dollars for each such violation. a hawker and pedler of meats, butter, cheese, fish, or fresh fruit and vegetables licensed under this section need not be licensee under section twenty-two.

Section 4. Section nineteen of said chapter one hundred and one is hereby amended by striking out, in the thirteenth and fourteenth lines, the words “enumerated in” and inserting in place thereof the words:—which may be sold without a license under,—so as to read as follows:—Section 19. The aldermen or selectmen may make regulations consistent with the general laws relative to the exercise of the trade of bootblacking by minors, and to the sale or barter by minors of any goods, wares or merchandise the sale of which is permitted without a license by section seventeen, and may prohibit such trade or such sales, or may require a minor to obtain from them a permit therefor to be issued on and conditions prescribed in such regulations; provided, that in the case of girls under the age of eighteen years and of boys under the age of sixteen years the foregoing powers in cities shall be vested in and exercised by the school committee. No permit issued to a minor under this section nor badge issued to him under sections sixty-nine to seventy-three, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-nine shall authorize the sale by a minor of any article, other than those which may be sold without a license under section seventeen. A minor who sells such article or exercises such trade without a permit, if one is required, or who violates the conditions of his permit or any provision of said regulations, shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten dollars.

Section 5. Said chapter one hundred and one is hereby further amended by striking out section twenty-two and inserting in place thereof the following:— Section 22. The director may grant a license to go about carrying for sale or barter, exposing therefor and selling or bartering any goods, wares or merchandise, the sale of which is not prohibited by section sixteen, to any person who files in his office a certificate signed by the mayor or by a majority of the selectmen, stating that to the best of his or their knowledge and belief the applicant therein named is of good repute as to morals and integrity, and is, or has declared his intention to become, a citizen of the United States. The mayor or selectmen, before granting such certificate, shall require the applicant to make oath that he is the person named therein, and that he is, or has declared his intention to become, a citizen of the United States. The oath shall be certified by an officer duly qualified to ister oaths and shall accompany the certificate. The director shall cause to be inserted in every such license the amount of the license fee and the name of the town for which it is issued. The licensee may go

about carrying for sale or barter, exposing therefor and selling or bartering in any town mentioned in his license any meats, butter, cheese, fish, fruits, vegetables or other goods, wares or merchandise, not prohibited in section sixteen, upon payment to the director of the following fees: for each town containing not more than one thousand inhabitants, according to the then latest census, state or national, four dollars; for each town containing more than one thousand and not more than two thousand inhabitants, seven dollars; for each town containing more than two thousand and not more than three thousand inhabitants, nine dollars; for each town containing more than three thousand and not more than four thousand inhabitants, eleven dollars; and for each city and each other town, eleven dollars, and one dollar for every one thousand inhabitants thereof over four thousand; but the fee shall in no case exceed twenty-six dollars, and the amount paid shall be certified on the face of the license. The director shall retain one dollar for every city and town named in each of the above described licenses, and shall pay over to the treasurers of the respective cities and towns at least semi-annually the balance of said fees so received. The director may grant, as aforesaid, special state licenses upon payment by the applicant of fifty dollars for each license; and the licensee may go about carrying for sale or barter, exposing therefor and selling or bartering in any city or town in the commonwealth any meats, butter, cheese, fish, fruits, vegetables, or other goods, wares or merchandise, the sale of which is not prohibited by statute. A hawker or pedler licensed under this section need not be licensed under section seventeen or twenty-three within the territorial limits for which the license under this section is issued.

Section 6. Said chapter one hundred and one, as amended in section twenty-three by section two of chapter one hundred and eighty-five of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-seven, is hereby further amended by striking out said section twenty-three and inserting in place thereof the following:—Section 23. The director may also grant as aforesaid special county licenses for each county mentioned therein; and the licensee may go about carrying for sale or barter, exposing therefor and selling or bartering within such county any goods, wares or merchandise manufactured by himself or by his employer and not prohibited by section sixteen, upon paying to the director the amounts following: for Suffolk, Essex, Middlesex and Worcester, each, ten dollars; for Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol, Berkshire and Hampden, each, eight dollars; for Franklin, Hampshire and Barnstable, each, six dollars; and for Dukes county and

Nantucket, each, four dollars. The license shall describe the manufactured articles to be sold or bartered under it, and shall not authorize the sale or barter of any other article by the licensee. In case the licensee is selling or bartering goods, wares or merchandise manufactured by his employer, the name of such employer shall be stated upon the license. The director shall retain one dollar for every county named in each of the above described licenses, and shall pay over to the treasurers of the respective counties at least semiannually the balance of said fees so received. A hawker or pedler licensed under this section need not be licensed under section twenty-two in any city or town embraced within the territorial limits for which the license under this section is issued.

Section 7. Said chapter one hundred and one, as amended in section twenty-five by chapter one hundred and nineteen of the acts of nineteen hundred and twentyseven, is hereby further amended by striking out said section twenty-five and inserting in place thereof the following:—Section 25. A license granted under section twenty-two or twenty-three may be transferred by the director, upon application therefor, accompanied by a fee of one dollar and upon evidence furnished by the applicant like that required for the original granting of such license, and the transferee of a license granted under said section twenty-three may go about carrying for sale or barter, exposing therefor and selling or bartering any articles described therein within the county therein set forth. The director may make rules and regulations consistent with law covering the transfer of licenses granted under said section twenty-three.

Section 8. Said chapter one hundred and one is hereby further amended by striking out section twenty-seven and inserting in place thereof the following:— Section 27. Every person licensed as a hawker or pedler shall endorse his usual signature upon his license. He shall produce his license for inspection whenever demanded by a mayor, alderman, selectman, director or inspector of standards, sealer or deputy sealer of weights and measures, city or town treasurer or clerk, constable, police officer or justice of the peace; and if he fails so to do, he shall be subject to the same penalty as if he had no license. The director shall, at the expense of the licensee, provide a badge for each pedler and plates or tags for each pack, parcel or vehicle used in hawking or peddling. Such badges, plates or tags shall bear the number of the license, the word “pedler”, and such other

information as the director may deem necessary. Each pedler shall wear his badge in a conspicuous place. Each wagon or other vehicle shall have attached to the front or side thereof, in a place where it may readily and plainly be seen, and each pack or parcel carried by a pedler traveling on foot shall have conspicuously displayed thereon, the plate or tag provided by the director with the license number attached thereto.

Section 9. Section thirty of said chapter one hundred and one, as amended by chapter one hundred and fifty-four of the acts of nineteen hundred and twentythree and by chapter two hundred and fourteen of the acts of nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “public” in the eleventh line the words:—, or for any other sufficient cause,—so as to read as follows:—Section SO. Any license granted by the director to a hawker or pedler may be revoked by him upon conviction of the licensee of any crime which in the judgment of the director warrants such revocation, or upon the submission to the director of evidence satisfactory to him that, during the term of the license, the licensee has accepted or solicited money otherwise than through the bona fide sale or barter of goods, wares or merchandise or has violated any provision of section ten A of chapter two hundred and sixty-four, or has in any manner begged or solicited alms from the public, or for any other sufficient cause. Whenever any person is convicted of a violation of any provision of this chapter, relative to hawkers and pedlers, or a person holding such a license is convicted of any crime, the clerk of the court in which, or the trial justice by whom, such person was convicted shall notify the director.

Section 10. This act shall take effect on September first of the current year. Approved May 25, 1929.

APPENDIX D

Sole survivors

Boston’s bootblacks haven’t lost their luster, even as their trade fades

By Meghan Irons Globe Staff / November 9, 2008 Eugene Bly picks up a toothbrush and dips it into a special potion—a liquid concoction whose ingredients he refuses to share. In his buttoned-down dress shirt and slacks, Bly doesn’t look like your typical shoeshine man. A Scally cap hides most of his hair, some of it poking out gray at the temples. And his shoes—the shine on them sparkles under a cool autumn sun. As he works, Bly eloquently expounds on his longevity in his trade—30 years. “The first shoes I ever shined was a sailor’s, but I got polish all over his socks,” he recalls as a customer sits on a cushion placed on two stacked crates on Boylston Street, with her boots perched on a small wooden stand. Cars and pedestrians swoosh by. “The sailor liked the shine so much, and instead of the 10 cents or whatever that I was charging then, he gave me a dollar. The man who owned the shop, though, said he couldn’t have someone who got polish on customers’ socks. So he let me go.” Most days, Bly, 68, totes his crate and stand from his Chelsea home to a spot outside the Hynes T stop on Mass. Ave. These days, he has little company as an independent bootblack. Classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as personal care and service workers (the category also includes butlers, chaperones, and call girls), many shoeshiners work for someone else, servicing hotels and office buildings in the city. Some work in barbershops, at the airport, or at shoe-repair shops, says Jim McFarland, historian with the Shoe Service Institute of America, which comprises retail shoe-repair operators. But whether they’re independent like Bly or employed by a company, their services are less and less in demand. For one thing, their client base is shrinking. As the sneaker culture rises, wingtip wearers are on the wane—more and more men prefer to dress down rather than dress up. At most shoe-repair shops,

machines have taken the place of bootblacks. And then there’s the demise of quality footwear: Today’s shoes are inexpensive and easier to replace than to maintain or repair. Some bootblacks, like Bly, have rolled with the times and now also offer cleaning services for leather sneakers and bags. “Back in the day, people took care of their shoes…and ed them down a generation,” says McFarland. “Today you don’t find people 35 or younger getting their shoes repaired…or getting them polished.” A shoeshine, depending on the bootblack and the footwear, can cost from $3 to $10, and some bootblacks make $75 to $125 a day with tips, McFarland says. It’s backbreaking work of long hours spent bent over for not much pay. “It’s a hard way to make a living,” says McFarland.

Church of the happy soles

Emily Gelbert is struggling in a trade dominated by older black men. For the past 22 years, Gelbert has run her own shoeshine business, A Shining Example, staffing stands at the Boston Marriott Copley Place and the Westin Copley Place, as well as office buildings like One Beacon Street downtown. Her company is the only bootblack parlor listed in the current Yellow Book for Greater Boston under shoe shining. Like the other bootblacks interviewed, she didn’t aspire to be a shoeshiner. But once she started, she never stopped. “I find it very spiritual,” says Gelbert. “It’s kind of tied with feet washing. You become their friend, their therapist.” Her staff of seven, including two part-timers, does the bulk of the work now; Gelbert says she developed carpal-tunnel syndrome shining shoes. In addition to the regular gigs, Gelbert’s company is hired for special events and to visit individual offices, going desk to desk shining shoes for $5 a pair. Lately, business has been hurting. Some of her clients were brokerage firms that were hit hard by the Wall Street collapse, she said.

But Gelbert says she can trace the decline back further than that, to the 2001 terrorist attacks. She lost customers then when some events canceled in Boston, hotels scaled back amenities like shoeshines, and office buildings tightened security in their lobbies, which meant fewer patrons from off the streets could stop in for a shine. “Everything has hurt us; 9/11 has pulled the rug out from under me,” she says.

EC does Dudley

At Egleston Square in Roxbury, Lawson Barber Shop resurrected its shoeshine service a few years ago. But the stand sits empty most days. “It’s been slow, to tell you the truth, because people wear sneakers now,” says William Thomas Sr., the 72-year-old shoeshiner. Thomas used to work part time, but he doesn’t come around much anymore. In Dudley Square, Allah M. Allah is looking for another bootblack to pamper the footwear of men who come in for a haircut and shave at his barbershop, Hair Care Center LLC. But so far he’s had no luck finding someone to staff the stately shoeshine stand that sits in a corner, rising high above the floor like a throne. “The last guy who was in here was about a month ago,” he says. A few blocks away, that last guy at Allah’s—known to most folks simply as EC —brags about the service he’s provided in Dorchester and Roxbury for more than 30 years. “No one can do what I can do,” says the 80-year-old, who works eight hours a day at his newest gig, in Dudley Square’s Turning Heads beauty and barber shop. His toolbox is packed with blackened rags, fraying toothbrushes, and secret potions filling bottles that once held soda and dishwashing liquid. And he’s got proof of the magic he works with them—an album stuffed with Polaroids, pages and pages of tired shoes brought to life, dull shoes in bold new colors, plain shoes now adorned with shiny tips.

“I don’t just shine the shoes,” he says, displaying a toothless grin. “I go inside the shoes and open the pores. I put the color back in the shoes. You can’t find no other place like mine.”

Talkin’ State Street shoes

A steady stream of men in suits flows through Ismael Torres’s rented two-seat stand in the lobby of Sixty State Street. After each man leaves, Torres fills a bowl under the seat of the stand with shoe cleaner, ready for the next customer. He doesn’t say too much and speaks softly. He works fast, finishing each customer within a few minutes for a cost of $5 to $7. As for the make of the shoe, he doesn’t wonder. “I don’t ask about that,” says Torres, who is in his 60s. “I just clean them.” At South Station, Edward Nsubuga is working two customers in his three-seat stand. It gets like that sometimes—a mad rush—but not always. Nsubuga, 52, doesn’t own the stand. He gets paid weekly, and keeps the tips. He works at South Station 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., charging $5 for a basic shine and more if the shoe is in bad shape. With the economic downturn, he says he’s seeing fewer customers. “Sometimes I sit here with my paper and someone comes and wakes me up and says ‘Hey, are you open for business?’ “says the bootblack who has been working for General Shoe & Luggage Repair at South Station for eight years. “You wake up yawning. Then you sit with the paper and wait for another customer.” Bootblacks around Boston share tips for a good shoeshine and successful business. Develop your special touch. “I invent things,” says EC, at Turning Heads in Dudley Square. “I don’t use regular polish. I mix polish. I put things in polish

that don’t belong there. And I strip shoes with stuff that don’t even belong on shoes. I’m a chemist bootblack.” Adapt to the times and never polish your customers’ socks. “Do everybody,” even the ones wearing sneakers, said Eugene Bly, who works on Massachusetts Avenue near Boylston Street. Use your potions. “I use a little fabric soap and a little bit of bleach,” says William Thomas Sr., at Lawson Barber Shop in Egleston Square. “After I wash them, I brush them, then put the polish on them. Then I brush them again real good until I get the shine. Then I use the rag on them… That’s what you call spit shine.” Be fast and don’t ask questions. “My shoeshine never lasted more than a few minutes,” said Ismael Torres, who works in the lobby of Sixty State Street in Boston. (ed November 2, 2010, from www.boston.com)

APPENDIX E

When the Newark boss told us that there was no more work Francisco and I talked about what we would do and we went back to Brooklyn to a saloon near Hamilton Ferry, where we got a job cleaning it out and slept in a little room upstairs. There was a bootblack named Michael on the corner and when I had time I helped him and learned the business. Francisco cooked the lunch in the saloon and he, too, worked for the bootblack and we were soon able to make the best polish. Then we thought we would go into business and we got a basement on Hamilton avenue, near the Ferry, and put four chairs in it We paid $75 for the chairs and all the other things. We had tables and looking glasses there and curtains. We took the papers that have the pictures in and made the place high toned Outside we had a big sign that said:

THE BEST SHINE FOR TEN CENTS

Men that did not want to pay ten cents could get a good shine for five cents, but it was not an oil shine. We had two boys helping us and paid each of them fifty cents a day. The rent of the place was $20 a month, so the expenses were very great, but we made money from the beginning. We slept in the basement but got our meals in the saloon till we could put a stove in our place, and then Francisco cooked for us all. That would not do, tho, because some of our customers said that they did not like to smell garlic and onions and red herrings. I thought that was strange, but we had to do what the customers said So we got the woman who lived upstairs to give us our meals and paid her $1.50 a week each She gave the boys soup in the middle of the day five cents for two plates. Excerpt from The Biography of a Bootblack: Rocco Corresca

Independent, LIV (Dec. 4, 1902), 2863 67. (ed on November 2, 2010 from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/social_history/1bootblack.cfm).

APPENDIX F

11/3/2010—Bootblack Info

John MacGregor—eldest son of General Sir Duncan MacGregor, suggested the founding of the London Bootblack Brigade while chairman of the Industrial School Commission in London in the 1870s. From Chamber’s biographical dictionary: the great of all times and nations By David Patrick, Francis Hindes Groome, published in 1900 by J.B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.

___________________________

In 1869 the London Shoe-black Societies employed an average of 377 boys, who during the year earned £8,830. During the year ending 25 March 1869:

•50 scholars were placed in the Central Shoe-black Brigade (red uniform), of whom 7 were without father or mother, 12 fatherless, and 11 motherless; •10 in the Marylebone or North-west London Shoe-black Brigade (red-and-black uniform); •6 in the Islington or North-London Shoe-black Brigade (brown uniform); •11 in the City of London Sewers Street-Cleaning Brigade.

Seventy-seven poor destitute boys were thus rescued from their street life, with

its evil associations and temptations, and placed in positions of honest usefulness. They were holders of horses, crossing-sweepers, hawkers of cigarlights, etc. Several being parentless, homeless outcasts, were itted into the refuges attached to the brigades, and still reside in them, doing well. The greatest portion of these boys lodged in some of the poorest and most crowded parts of St. Giles’s parish, viz. Lincoln-court, Orange-court, Princes-court, Wild-court, Wild-age, all in Great Wild-street. Also in King-street, Charles-street, Parker-street, the Coal-yard, Short’s-gardens, etc, in Drury-lane; and Churchlane, George-street, Dudley-street, Nottingham-court, the Five and the Seven Dials, and other places. From one school alone as many as 167 of the beforementioned class of boys have been placed in the Central Shoe-black Brigade (red) within the past few years. But the employment found for lads in this brigade is not final, nor is it the only situation open to those who are steady and of good character. Situations are frequently offered to such boys, and employment of a superior (ed 11/3/2010 from Wikipedia)

APPENDIX G

UNION JACK SHOE BLACK BRIGADE & HOME, NEW SQUARE, LIMEHOUSE, LONDON 1871 Census—RG10/551 Folio 99

WILLIAM DALTON—WHERE BORN—At Sea on Indian Ocean, Ship Bombay—Stepney, Middlesex

SURNAME SCARFE SCARFE SCARFE SCARFE SCARFE SCARFE BRIGHT BEALE DICKINSON WHITTLE???? FONLEY DALTON DAVIS HOUGHTON KINGSLAND

GIVEN NAME Thomas Wm. Ellen Ellen Mary Thomas Wm. Esther Arthur John George William Charles Marlin Charles William Rheben Henry William

RELATION TO HEAD Head Wife Daug. Son Daug. Son Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder

CONDITION AS TO MARRIAG Mar Mar Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar.

SQUIRES SPINNER POWELL DOBSON SQUIRES WARD PR??? BALL

Daniel William Edwin William Charles James George Charles

Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder Boarder

Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar. Unmar.

(ed November 3, 2010 from http://www.missingancestors.com/CENSUSFORUNIONJACK)

APPENDIX H

Published in The Sunday Magazine, Volume 10, Strahan and Company, Publishers 1881

BOY BRIGADES.

By Mrs. CHARLES GARNETT.

NO. II.—THE SHOE-BLACK BRIGADE. PART II.

BESIDES money prizes, the lads have varied and capital, a treat twice a year. In winter it consists of a tea and after-entertainment. We saw the last programme, which was most [instructive] as it could hardly fail to be when arranged and assisted by such gentlemen as the well-known Rob Roy McGregor and Mr. Martin Ware, who for many years has been honorary secretary to the “Old Reds Society,” never wearying in his noble work, and placing the clear intellect of an accomplished barrister and the warm heart of a devoted Christian at its service. In summer, a country excursion is the thing, and then only two rules are put in force, which are these :—” No boy may spend more than half-a-crown in donkey-riding.” “Not more than four boys may be on the same donkey at the same time!” Last summer they went to Portsmouth, and here is an of the day’s proceedings, copied from the -notice entered by the manager :— “Annual Excursion, Portsmouth.—We left Waterloo Station at 7 A.m. On

arriving at Portsmouth we had some lunch, then, with band playing and flags flying, all marched to the Dockyard, where, through the kindness of iral Foley, we found a man specially told off to escort us through the Dockyard. We visited the Indefectible and the Serapis, then the various workshops, and closed our visit by boarding the Victory. By this time (1.30) we found the boys were getting hungry and very tired, so we marched back to the Masonic Hall for dinner. After doing full justice to the food (roast beef, mutton boiled and roast, veal and ham, plum-pudding, and fruit tarts!), the boys were allowed to go free, when they indulged in donkey-riding (poor donkeys!), boating, bathing, cricket, and races. We left Portsmouth at 7.10, arriving home about 10.30, well satisfied with the day’s excursion, and all thoroughly tired out.” We should just think so! So the books were closed and we were conducted over the building. Our first stoppage is at the door of the large room we are leaving. Three ragged boys stand waiting. “Well, young man,” says Mr. Nichols to a tall fellow, “where do you come from?” Indistinct reply. “What were you working at?” “Druggist, in Thames Street.” “Why did you leave?” “Getting slack.” “Bring a character here to-morrow.” To number two. “Where do you come from?” “Pancras Road.” “Go to the York Road Society, see if they can take you in; if not, come back here.” To number three. “You?” “Greville Street. Working at coal-wharf for the men, got a shilling a day and dinner. Has no father, no, nor no mother, paid fourpence a night for lodgings— had the rest to keep himself. Work getting done, was turned off on Saturday, could not afford to keep us, must look out for ourselves.”

“Where had he slept since?” “In a coal-shed.” “You belong to the Westminster district,” sums up Mr. Nichols; “you’re tall enough for a soldier. Do you know the Westminster Shoe-blacks’ Home?” “No.” “In Besborough Gardens, Vauxhall; go there.” Down-stairs we found every possible arrangement for insuring cleanliness, including so large a bath that six boys can use it at once. Then we are turned over to the matron, who takes us up to the bedrooms. The beds are very comfortable—a straw mattress and upon it a flock one, with four thicknesses of blankets; both a bolster and pillow are on the beds, and a clean sheet is supplied every Monday; pretty scarlet quilts form their covering in summer, but in winter these are exchanged for a thicker brown rug. A monitor is appointed in each room to keep order. The boy who has been longest in the house fills this position of honour. There are also nice little chests of drawers. Each boy has his own drawer, and the matron showed us, with a motherly pride, how tidily they were kept, and unfolded more than one nice Sunday suit for our iration. There are texts and mottoes on the walls, such as “Stand up for Jesus,” and other bright words. In the largest dormitory there are thirty-five beds, and—unheard-of luxury!—a gas stove stood ready to be lighted when cold nights came on. A fire-escape was braced up to the ceiling, offering if need be an easy mode of exit on to the neighbouring roofs. The other bedrooms were smaller. One had but a single bed in it; and these smaller rooms are considered the best ones, though the larger ones are equally clean, bright, and comfortable. Lastly we were ushered into the schoolroom and saw a most charming sight. The spacious room was brightly lighted up. The walls were covered with pictures, texts, maps, and flags. The little man whom we had seen at the door has a love for modelling, and at one end of the school-room on stands we beheld a pagoda, a farm-yard, a village in snowy weather very glittering, Buckingham Palace, and lastly an unflatteringly plain model of a shoe-black boy, but with his badge very carefully reproduced.

The brightness of the whole scene, however, is centred in the rows of boys. More than eighty of these, with their clean faces, smooth hair, and red jerseys, are hard at work learning. Mr. Batie and an assistant master keep perfect order, and yet there is no stick. “Those lads,” Mr. Batie tells us, “are doing fractions. Do you see that boy with light hair and the pale face?” “Yes.” “Number Two, fetch your clogs for the lady to see.” To us—” They cost him five-andsixpence.” Number Two comes back smiling, with a pair of light clogs, well blackened and tipped with brass, in his hand. “This lad is our best clogdancer.” And as he returns to his seat Mr. Batie adds in a low voice, “He has ^34 in the bank, and is sixteen years old.” “But how a clog-dancer?” “At our monthly entertainments. Allow me to give you this programme, and we shall be very glad to see you if you like some time to come. The boys themselves arrange the whole thing.” We glance at the paper and monthly entertainment includes shadow pantomime (a very favourite of the whole), reciting, and, last but not least, clog-dancing. Another lad is pointed out to us who for two years has gained the medal for swimming. A very useful accomplishment to these boys, for many of them were ed on to the Arethusa or other training ships for the navy, and many “young rascals” turn out fine “Jack tars,” the life and fun which lead them into mischief or even into crime ashore making them smart, active, plucky blue jackets. But to return to the night school in Saffron Hill: we inquire, “Is the attendance here compulsory?” “Yes; four nights a week, and it is also so at the Sunday-school. They do not care for services, and I think they learn more perhaps in the Sunday-school than in places of worship. They are obliged to use their minds in a Bible class.” “What are the hours?”

“From half-past ten to twelve and from half-past seven to nine in the evening.” And here, through the medium of the Sunday Magazine, we would make an earnest appeal to its London readers to offer themselves to Martin Ware, Esq., of Old Court, Lincoln’s Inn, the earnest Hon. Sec. of the Shoe-black Brigade at Saffron Hill, as Sunday-school teachers. He tells us this is a great want, and justly pointed out that ladies would be the most acceptable instructors to the boys. That all mission work is best done by volunteers is a well-known fact. Then, too, the lads are used to their week-day teachers, and though no master could be kinder to these waifs and strays than their present one is, yet amidst eighty boys strict discipline must be maintained, and it is impossible for paid teachers to become the personal and intimate friends of their scholars in the same way that tender and educated ladies can. Kingsley has truly told us that there is an inherent chivalry in the roughest and most ignorant natures which can be, and is, drawn out by such — elevating and ennobling the instructed and cared for; and we would add, a reflex benefit of earnestness and strength comes into the gentle life so used. Surely we need not lay the case in vain before the lady-readers of this paper? Surely, in London, a sufficient number of lady volunteers can be found to teach in the Shoe-black Sunday-schools in its different quarters. In other words, surely there are some who love Christ the Lord and His work better than their own selfish ease. If Christianity is anything, it is all—it is not a human emotion, it is a Divine principle. It must dominate our lives, or we have no part in it. The need of such volunteer help is more plainly seen when we that these boys are most ignorant when they first come into the Brigade. Out of seventy boys it is found that thirty cannot read quite little words. The School Board does not get hold of the street boys; it is so easy to dodge the inspectors, and is done to a much greater extent than Mr. Forster would like to know. It is well enough for the State to command all children shall attend Board Schools and grow up educated men or women, but till the State can inform these poor ones how they are to procure the morsel of food which keeps life weakly in them, and where they are to find the nightly twopence for a shelter, the State may command, but it cannot compel. Hunger and destitution are stronger than reading and writing, and the weaker, in this as in all other cases, must go to the wall.

The Shoe-black Brigade is not, we are thankful to say, a State, but a Christian institution, consequently the most ignorant and neglected are the most cared for, and we find at Saffron Hill that the boys with a higher scale of learning are sacrificed rather than those who know less, and the most earnest pains are bestowed on those who need them most. Thus, some boys we find come from Industrial schools and know a good deal, but the rest have very little education, and a large percentage cannot read at all, so that many bright boys are sitting here learning their letters; that strong young fellow, fifteen years of age, has just fought his way to “crooked S.” The master, however, tells us— “Yes, we teach the Standards—all the way up.” The copy-books are very clean and nicely kept, and they must cost Lord Kinnaird an income, as he gives a reward of sixpence for each one filled up without blots. A boy in the first class, taken by us haphazard, is told to stand up and read, and rattles off half a page of the “Sixth Reader” without a stumble; another young gentleman in the third quickly does a mental arithmetic sum correctly. Evidently the boys are learning, and learning intelligently; but more even might be done in the way of instruction did the boys remain any length of time, but they do not. The object of the Committee is to make the Blacking Brigade a stepping-stone out of the gutter—but only a stepping-stone—to a higher life. The broken nature of the occupation is an advantage to boys not used as yet to any work, but for the same reason it is injurious, and encourages the love of desultory, intermittent employment, which if long persisted in would teach them idle habits; therefore as quickly as may be they are procured situations as errandboys, gentlemen’s servants, and so on, and are also much encouraged by the Committee to go to sea or into the army; the reason of this being that by entering either of the services they become at once completely cut off from bad home associates. The lads have caught a sad habit of moving about from one shoeblack centre to another, therefore two boys’ beadles are now employed, both of whom have been raised from the ranks of the Brigade. They spend their time going from station to station and studying the boys’ faces—and then one or other of them comes down to the different night schools and looks round.

A new boy sits very diligently poring over his book. He seems intensely interested—so he is, but not in his spelling. The beadle, slowly walking past his desk, is getting very near. He’s going to . Oh, no such luck! and a voice—a ed voice falls on the student’s ear. “Why, I saw you at the North London Society last.” Then, if he has been discharged for dishonesty, he is dismissed from Saffron Hill, or whatever other centre he has ed himself to. If he has left the North London Society without a reason he is recommended to return thither. But it is nine o’clock. School is over. How delightful it was to hear those young voices in that sweet Evening Hymn ; and to hear lips so early used to oaths and sinful words now seriously repeating the Lord’s Prayer—that wonderful prayer of prayers. That peaceful pause of worship was very delightful; and then, oh! the sudden change from order and quietude. The whole herd, with cries, and whistles, and “chaff,” rush downstairs. Their red jersey uniforms are torn off and hung up in a trice. Half of the boys are already in the street, making the neighbouring houses echo again. The other—and we thought the more to be envied—part are once more in the large room ; forms and tables are soon cleared away, and where we had last seen a kind of Coffee Palace dining-room, we now find ourselves in a gymnasium, and a noisy one too. And so we left the Home; and our last sight of the Blacking Brigade was that of one of its flying past us holding on to a swing, while two more young persons were going hand over hand along ladders a short distance below the ceiling, with their legs dangling loose above our heads. A few days afterwards we had the pleasure of being allowed a conversation with Mr. Martin Ware, who perhaps knows, from many years’ personal experience, more of the Blacking Brigade than any one else. He told us that the work was very different from that of an ordinary Industrial school, where the lads are kept entirely under control, and then placed out in the world; and even Ragged School work itself having changed, in consequence of the great educational efforts of latter years, has made the conduct of the Blacking Brigade more difficult than it used, at the establishment of the Society, to be. Mr. Ware explains the fact thus : —

“Originally, there was very little opportunity for ragged boys to get an honest, or guasi-honest, living in the streets; there were no shoe-blacks or news-boys, very few fusee-boys. Every street boy was then made to ‘move on’ by the police; and the boys attending Ragged Schools were obliged either to be errand-boys (which was difficult with ragged clothes and no character) or to be beggars or thieves. Consequently we were at first supplied with a stream of well-conducted boys from Ragged Schools, who were thankful to use our Society as a stepping-stone to get into respectable work. But now it is so easy for a ragged boy to get his living in the streets as a shoe-black or news-boy, &c, and, moreover, the demand for boys in the labour market is so much greater than it was twenty years ago, that boys are less eager to get into the Society, and less willing to submit to the discipline when in it. On the whole, they are a decidedly rougher lot of boys than we used to get, and a much larger proportion of them are homeless boys. “Many people would say that this is as it should be, and that we ought to take the roughest and most destitute by preference. But it certainly makes the Society more difficult to manage, and requires a certain change of front in the management. The case may be put thus. Originally our object was to provide work for those who were being trained in Ragged Schools. And our object is to provide discipline and instruction for those who are getting their living in the streets, and who, but for our Societies, would have no instruction or control at all. “One result of this is, that all the Societies find it necessary to have Homes for homeless boys, and a Sunday-school, as well as regular week-evening instruction on the Society’s premises. “Although the mode of action of the Society is in some measure changed, its power of usefulness is still very great and important. Just think of the number of boys who through our hands in one year! All of these, for the time being, are on friendly with us, and open to good influence, and in the majority of cases open to no other ‘good influences.’” Yes, and results speak louder than these modest words of Mr. Ware’s, for at least in half the cases it has been found that the influence extends over the lad’s whole after life. A great number of the boys have emigrated. Scores of them are in America, and several in Australia and New Zealand. In most cases they have paid part, and

sometimes the whole, of their outfit out of their savings. A short time ago Mr. Ware told us he had a visit from an old shoe-black who was formerly a thief in London, and is now holding a responsible situation on a railroad in America, with a salary of more than 400 a year. He brought to his old friends—his maters—the photograph of himself and his wife. Sometimes the boys are heard of after many years in a curiously accidental way. For instance, here is an extract from a letter which has lately been received from a sailor formerly in the Brigade :—” I left London in December. We went to Swansea, and then to Liverpool, where I left the schooner and ed this steamer and went to Galveston, U.S., and from there to New Orleans. I saw one of the old Society’s boys out at New Orleans. He is master of a tug-boat; he was in the Society about ten years ago; but I quite forget his name. He told me he had earned many a shilling at the Royal Exchange.” Another good thing which “grows” out of the work of the Shoe-black Society is the healing of many a sad mother’s heart, and emphatically “restoring the lost;” for amongst the boys who apply for work, a good many are found to have run away from the country, often from comfortable homes, and have got into distress in London. They come thinking to be their “own masters,” and find their glowing ideas of independence vanish, as, whether they will or not, they are presently obliged to confess that “want is their master.” Then the Society gets hold of them and restores them to their friends, and when once more they are in the old familiar scenes, with the old home comfort, the old love about them which once they cast aside, and which in many a never-to-be-forgotten bitter hour they had longed hopelessly for, they how God saved them, which of His servants brought them His “loving kindness and tender mercy,” and out of the fulness of their hearts write little letters of thanks. One lad says—he writes from Southampton—“I write to thank you for your kindness to me when I was in London. I like my place much better since I have been back. I saw J C last Sunday, and he seems glad to get back home again. He sends his love to Mr. Jones and Miss Blot (the matron), and all the boys. Give my love to the new boy, and I hope he is getting on nicely. I will send you my portrait as soon as I can get it taken, and I should like to have yours in remembrance of you.” Here is another, also written to the Inspector, from Staffordshire:—

“Just a line to let you know that I got home safe and I am going on all right now, and comfortable, and my brother says it was very kind of you and Mr. Nichols to take me in, and if you come ever to our house we shall do the same for you. I have had my clothes sent from Birmingham, and I look quite a swell. I must have some portraits taken and send you, Bob, and John, one each, and you must send me one of yours.” A mother writes to Mr. Nichols from Ipswich:— “I write to inform you that my son, E P, came home on Monday afternoon. I wish to thank you very kindly, for he tells me you, sir, have been like a father to him. He speaks much of the kindness of all to him. I am only sorry that he has not more to come home to, but he is very welcome to what there is.” Does not a true mother’s heart speak there? Thank God! whatever else she lacks she has got her boy back. And worth much more too, we trust, than when she lost him. A hopeless subject, apparently, came to the Society once. A rough, turbulent, deaf and dumb boy. He worked in the “Old Reds” for some time, and toned down and improved so much that the Hon. Arthur Kinnaird gave him work upon Lord Kinnaird’s estate in Scotland. Therefrom he writes :— “I enclose two of my likenesses, one for Mr. Nichols and one for yourself. I send my kind love to all the boys. I would be very much obliged if you would send me one of the boy’s likenesses in his, uniform, if you could possibly do so.” Mr. Martin Ware has most kindly supplied us, also, with some extracts from his “rough journal,” as instances of what becomes of the boys. “April 29. R A (latenumber39) called. He is now in the Royal Navy; has been away for six years in the Briton. He has obtained a gold medal from the Warspiie (training-ship) and a silver medal from the Royal Marine Society. He was paid off, having saved ^70, with a capital character. “Aprilib. The Inspector met an old Society boy, W A (late number 32). He was at Gatti’s, on the ice-vans, for three years, and now has two cabs and one horse of his own. He is married, and has three children. He is a teetotaler.

“We heard a few days ago of one of our old boys who is now a Colour Sergeant in one of the regiments in Afghanistan.” Such is the work of the Shoe-black Brigade. Such are a few of the known results; but how vast a proportion of the good done will never be known on earth, not even by those noble servants who have so closely followed their Lord’s will and trodden in his steps! One day they will know, but not until they see the King in His beauty—not until from Christ’s lips they hear the words of welcome: “Well done, good and faithful servants, enter ye into the joy of your Lord.”