National Leather Collection appeals to local shoemakers
17/09/2018
The museum is located at the Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Northampton, an area well known for its shoemaking history. Now, those responsible for it aim to encourage tourists who visit the factory shops of Northamptonshire shoe brands to extend their stay and explore the town centre. This would boost tourism in the town.
Philip Warner, head of the museum, told local media: "Northampton is a town built on its shoe and leather heritage We have been the best at it for more than 900 years. We want people here to be celebrating what is good for the town. Ours is one of many green shoots of growth. The challenge is to get more partnership working, and essentially trust locals more with the ongoing work to make the town thrive."
Mr Warner wants local shoe companies to sponsor a cabinet in the museum, where they would display their products. They would pay a fee to do so, which would go towards the cost of running the collection. It would allow the brands to tell their stories and demonstrate Northampton’s footwear prowess.
The National Leather Collection opened in 2017 and features historical leather artefacts such as a pair of signed Crockett and Jones shoes worn by Daniel Craig on the set of James Bond film Spectre, a saddle owned by Queen Victoria and fragments of the dead sea scrolls.
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