| These are ice skates dating from the early 1900s to 1920s. The skates were made of metal (probably an alloy of iron and other metals) and leather. The leather was formed around the heel, and would have extended forward as a strap that would have buckled at the side, but that part has deteriorated over time. The user would place his or her booted foot into the space between the leather heel and the two small prongs sticking upward at the front of the skate. Then the leather strap would have crossed over the top of the foot and buckled at the side. The last image below shows the underside of the front of the skate and the screw mechanism whereby the two upward prongs could be tightened to fit and hold the sides of the user's shoe or boot. It is interesting to note that the skates' runners are nearly 3/8" wide. |
