Tap shoes worn by Ann Miller: Museum Object and Cultural History
Tap shoes worn by Ann Miller: Date made: 1939. user: Miller, Ann. Object Name: shoes, pair of.
The object in the museum catalogue
Ann Miller (1923–2004), among the finest tap dancers in the history of the American musical, appeared in such classic films as Easter Parade (1948), On the Town (1949), and Kiss Me, Kate (1953). Miller wore these gold–painted high–heeled tap dancing shoes numerous times over the course of several decades, beginning with her Broadway debut in George White's Scandals of 1939 and concluding with her 1984 stage triumph, Sugar Babies. The shoes are fitted on the heels with steel "jingle" taps, which make for a greater profusion of percussive sounds.
Materials, dates and provenance
- Date made: 1939
- user: Miller, Ann
- Object Name: shoes, pair of
- Physical Description: leather (overall material)
- Physical Description: rubber (bottom material)
- Physical Description: steel (taps material)
- Measurements: overall: 8 in x 4 in; 20.32 cm x 10.16 cm
- used: Musical Theater
- used: Motion Pictures
- used: Television
- Subject: Dancers
- general subject association: Television
- ID Number: 1984.1012.01
- accession number: 1984.1012
- catalog number: 1984.1012.01
- Credit Line: Gift of Ann Miller
- Data Source: National Museum of American History
Sources and reuse
Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.
Sources
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