a young couple recline in the grass. the young man's head rests in his female companion's lap, while her hand rests in his hair and she gazes down at him.

Courtship & Weddings in the American West

a young couple recline in the grass. the young man's head rests in his female companion's lap, while her hand rests in his hair and she gazes down at him.

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This project explores the ways in which courtship and weddings took place on the Western Frontier of the United States in the 19th century.

With the help of the Idaho State Historical Society, we studied and thoroughly analyzed a pair of shoes with the goal of gaining insight into the lives of women in the West. In this case, we will be looking specifically at young women and brides.

These suede, dove grey pumps belonged to Emma Marchesi, who married William P. Kennedy in 1893 in Aspen, Colorado. From Aspen, they settled in Gooding, Idaho.

a pair of beaded, suede grey wedding pumps
Idaho State Historical Society, 1999.14

Click here to view a 3D representation of the shoes!