Rochester Shoe Tree Company collection

Collection

Identifier: D.536

Staff Only

Biographical / Historical note

Edmund James Baas (1889-1978) started the Rochester Shoe Tree Company in 1922 in Rochester, NY. His son, Edmund J. Baas Jr., became an owner of the company by 1954. An advertisement for the Rochester Shoe Tree Company was featured in Baas Jr.'s 1938 high school yearbook. The company initially manufactured shoe lasts until they began to manufacture shoe trees in 1933. In the early 1950s they expanded once again and began manufacturing shoe cleaners, shoe polishes, leather protectors and other shoe care accessories. Rochester Shoe Tree Company is now based out of Ashland, New Hampshire.

Scope and Contents

The Rochester Shoe Tree Company collection consists of six shoe trees. There is a mix of both plastic and wooden handles. Of note, some of the shoe trees have "Rochester Shoe Tree Company" in gold inscribed on the handle and some reference the style of shoe tree, e.g., "Gene."

Creator

Rochester Shoe Tree Company (Rochester, N.Y.) (Organization)

Dates

Creation: circa 1930s

Language of Materials

English

Extent

.56 cubic feet

Access

The Rochester Shoe Tree Company Collection is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

Reproductions are made upon request but can be subject to restrictions. Permission to publish materials from the collection must currently be requested. Please note that some materials may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. For more information contact rarebks@library.rochester.edu

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Rochester Shoe Tree Company Collection, D.536, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester