True crime fans and aspiring detectives, prepare your magnifying glasses and flashlights as the Bata Shoe Museum is hosting an eye-opening conversation related to its thrilling crime exhibit that will dive into the intriguing intersection of fashion and forensic science.
If you are into crime, then you know that every little detail counts to unfolding a mystery. And the best detectives will pay attention to everything, from hidden messages and inconsistent stories to clothes and footwear.
That’s why the Bata Shoe Museum (BSM) is inviting the best puzzle solvers out there to take a step behind the yellow police line and dive into the importance of footwear to solving crimes at its Exhibit A: Investigating Crime and Footwear.
In this exhibition, attendees will have a chance to examine shoes that were key to solving some of the most mind-itching crimes in the world across history, and reflect on the complex role of footwear in crime, policing and the judiciary system, as well as our own ideas of criminality.
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This complete journey also considers how clothing and footwear have played into the cultural ideas of criminality throughout the centuries informed by biases and assumptions.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—the mind behind Sherlock Holmes, one of the most beloved and respected detectives in the world of fiction—taught us, clothes and shoes can tell us a lot more than someone’s style.
It was through different fibers, unexplained stains and unique footprints that Holmes and many other investigators unveiled some of the most intriguing mysteries the world has ever seen.
As technology advances and detectives have new tools to look into a mystery, with search histories, cellphone cameras and DNA analysis becoming more popular, fashion remains one of the main elements to look for when fixing a puzzle.
On Sep. 16, Exhibit A’s Co-Curator Alison Matthews David will be at the BSM to explore the intersection between foot fashion and forensic science in a fascinating conversation for the public.
The presentation will walk through real historical cases in which clothing played an important role in investigations, such the Paris Morgue’s missing persons case, the chilling tale of a murderous Parisian tailor, and a California train heist solved with a clue left by a left-handed lumberjack.
Besides leading this renowned exhibition, David also teaches in Toronto Metropolitan University’s Fashion department. She has a PhD in Art History from Stanford University, and her most recent research project explores how clothing physically harmed the health of its makers and wearers. The researcher is also a Principal Investigator of the The Fabric of Crime: Forensic Histories of Fashion, a government-funded project that investigates the histories of fashion and forensic investigation.
David’s talk will take place from 7 – 9 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15, but seniors and students pay $10 upon showing their IDs.
Exhibit A is available at the museum until Sept. 28, and all crime fans and self-claimed detectives are invited to attend.
For more information and tickets, visit https://batashoemuseum.ca/exhibit-a/.
