Socks Item Number: 335/18 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
Pair of coarse white cotton socks (part a-b). The sock has wide ankles, rounded heel and foot angled downward. The fabric is folded over at the top to form a double layer with the seam joining the layers and outlining the rest of the sock. The edges of the fabric are concealed between the layers. Uneven rows of machine stitching reinforce or repair the area above the heel.
History Of Use
Cotton socks, like these but with pointed toes, were worn by Korean men. The outer fabric of Korean socks was folded under to the inside at the top, and sewn with concealed stitching to an inner layer of a different fabric.
Narrative
Most of the clothing in the J. McRee Elrod Collection was made for him and his family by friends while they were living in Korea, much of it by Kim, Sung Sook. She and her family lived cooperatively in the same house as the Elrod family. While they were there, the Elrods preferred to wear Korean clothing on very cold days and for social occasions. They found it to be more comfortable than western clothing in cold weather, as public buildings were unheated in the period immediately following the Korean War. It also was more comfortable for floor seating in Korean homes, and easier to store with limited furniture than western clothing. The children’s clothing was worn by their children Mark and Lona.
Item History
- Made by Sung Sook Kim (Maker) in Seoul, Korea between 1955 and 1960
- Collected during 1955
- Owned by J. McRee Elrod before October 13, 1976
- Received from J. McRee Elrod (Donor) on October 13, 1976
What
- Name
- Socks
- Identification Number
- 335/18 a-b
- Type of Item
- sock
- Material
- cotton fibre
- Manufacturing Technique
- cut, sewn, turned, reinforced ? and repaired ?
- Part B
- height 40.5 cm, width 25.0 cm
- Part A
- height 40.5 cm, width 25.0 cm
Who
- Culture
- Korean
- Creator
- Sung Sook Kim (Maker)
- Previous Owner
- J. McRee Elrod
- Received from
- J. McRee Elrod (Donor)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Seoul, Korea
When
- Creation Date
- between 1955 and 1960
- Collection Date
- during 1955
- Ownership Date
- before October 13, 1976
- Acquisition Date
- on October 13, 1976
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0335/0018 a-b