They wore what? Style and social roles of boots in mid-19 th and early 20th centuries Nevada

Fashion communicates information to society about the identity of a person and the society in which they live. Footwear is part of a clothing ensemble that is not just an article of clothing to be worn but rather a symbol of societal ideals such as the acceptance of gender ideals and socioeconomic status of the wearer. Boots in particular were the main mode of footwear for American society during the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. All socioeconomic classes wore boots as part of fashionable ensembles as well as everyday work clothes. By examining boots worn during this period, 19th century ideals about gender and socioeconomic status can be realized through surviving material evidence from this time.;This thesis concentrates on boots worn in Nevada during the 19 th and early 20th centuries. Museum and archaeological artifacts are used in tandem to construct a view of what types of boots were worn in Nevada and examine the gender and socioeconomic status ideals present in the state at this time. The museum collection consists of boots collected by the Nevada State Museum and the Nevada Historical Society which are housed at the Marjorie Russell Clothing and Textile Center in Carson City, Nevada. The archaeological collection consists of artifacts collected from two Nevada sites: Piper's Opera House (26ST226) in Virginia City, Nevada and Island Mountain (26EK6621) in Elko County, Nevada.