These shoe trees or shoe stays were used to maintain the shape and keep ladies' shoes from creasing when not worn in the 1950's.A pair of vintage 1950's Skyline adjustable metal shoe stretchers or shoe stays. The curved front shoe end has a textured back and four holes at the tip. It is attached to the open metal handle so it can move up and down to fit into the shoe. The handheld end has ten holes with an adjustable clip for stretching the leather. They were used to maintain the shoe's shape whilst not wearing them.'Skyline Made in England'shoes, shoetrees, footwear accessories

These domestic items belonging to the Alexander family were donated by Karen Alexander who is living on the old family farm at Emerald - the land was bought in 1920 by Charles Thomas Alexander and was variously used for dairy farming and cropping. Karen's grandfather, C T Alexander. was a Ferntree Gully councillor - he died in the early 1940s. Emily, who compiled the scrapbook, lived in Brighton. Her sister, Fanny, who compiled the recipe book also lived in Brighton. These items were passed to Karen's father in 1964 when his mother died and thence to Karen.Although these items did not originate in Emerald they offer an insight into domestic life in Melbourne during the period of approximately 1890s-1940s.Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings compiled by Emily Alexander in late 19th and early 20th centuries. Recipe book of handwritten recipes and newspaper cuttings compiled by F. T. Alexander 1920s-1940s. Shoe stretchers - 2 pairs Leather strop Crocheted clothes hangers Butter pats - 1 pairScrapbook: On front cover - 'Name: Emily H Alexander / My Collection of Newspaper Cuttings' On back cover: a verse of several stanzas related to Coles Book Arcade followed by the following: 'Sold at Coles' Book Arcade Melbourne Price 1s / By post in Victoria 1s 6d' Recipe book: No inscription on the front and back covers. 'F. T. Alexander' inscribed inside front cover.alexander, scrapbook of newspaper cuttings, 1890s-1940s, recipe book, shoe stretchers, leather strop, clothes hanger, butter pats