Thoughts from the Leather Leadership Conference 2014

Last weekend was the Leather Leadership Conference here in Philadelphia. The highlight of my weekend, besides bootblacking, was attending Leslie J. Anderson's presentation. Leslie is a pillar of the bootblack community, having won the title of International Ms. Bootblack in 1999, and spends much of her time working with the Leather Archives & Museum..

During her talk, Leslie focused on the definitions and differences between leather restoration, preservation, and conservation.

(Just one caveat: I am paraphrasing Leslie's words; if there are any inaccuracies, the fault is mine alone.)

Restoration is pretty much what it sounds like. It means you are making "like new." Taking an old pair of boots that seem destined for the dumpster, and making them wearable again. Stripping the old polish, filling in the gouges, redying, repolishing, presenting them back to the owner who will be astounded at your magical skills.

Preservation is something entirely different. You are preserving the item in its current condition, and making sure the item does not degrade further. Leslie showed us a photo of a set of leather restraints from the LA&M collection, covered with tiny white spots. The spots were the residue of the salts and other organic material left from the wearer(s). In the case of this item, the desire was to leave them in their current condition so that others may see their history.

Then there is conservation. Conservation has to do with the environment: humidity, light, air circulation, etc. Making sure the conditions are right for the leather to be preserved. Ever see a leather vest or pair of boots that have been stuffed in a closet for years? Or worse, in a humid basement?

I've been thinking about these three terms -- restoration, preservation, and conservation -- and how they might relate to my personal journey in bootblacking.

As I spend more time getting to know Bootblacks all over the country, I have some concerns about the future of bootblacking. Many have said to me that they are seeing more and more empty chairs.

It's possible that people just can't afford to buy leather these days. That's certainly true for me. Of my own personal collection, I own a vest, three pairs of shoes/boots, and a vintage 1980s studded bracelet. I'm saving my pennies for a pair of Wescos but that will take a while. :-)

But I also wonder if the art might be in decline because people just don't see us. I was involved in the lifestyle for four years before I even know what a Bootblack was, much less observing one.

Now this is NOT a complaint about people not buying leather or not respecting us, etc.

If anything it's a personal call to action. And thus back to Leslie's three words.

Restoration -- what can I do to restore the art of bootblacking in my community?

Preservation -- for the many experienced Bootblacks in our community, what can be done to keep them involved, to let them know that their skills are urgently needed, especially for mentoring, so that they may pass on what they've learned to the next generation?

Conservation -- how do we open up opportunities for new Bootblacks? It's not enough to give a "Bootblack 101" class without some consideration as to where and how one can continue learning. You can learn to polish a pair of boots in 10 minutes. But figuring out where to go to get shine time, how to get introduced to the "right people" -- that took me a LOT longer to achieve.

So, these are my final thoughts from LLC. I hope I don't sound priggish or self-important here. I am not wagging a finger at the community -- in fact I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities I've had, which would not have been possible without the help and support of my friends. THANK YOU.

Update: Where I Am Now

Since my last post, I've been crazy busy. With work and other stuff. And bootblacking as much as I can.

In March I attended Southern Sole, an intensive weekend of bootblacking classes and chicanery. ;-) It was intense but fantastic. Oh and I was sick as a dog but I kept my germs to myself and ignored it.

Last weekend was the Leather Leadership Conference in Philadelphia, and I spent an amazing 3 hours with Leslie J. Anderson from the Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago, as she presented a talk on Leather Care, Preservation, and Conservation.

I was also at the opening ceremonies at LLC, but no customers. I think they wanted to watch the show. I don't blame 'em; it was a great show with entertainment from the Liberty City Drag Kings.

On Saturday night I worked at a party affiliated with the LLC and worked on a lots of good folks and their boots. Although I did almost make a huge boo-boo; the lighting was really bad so I assumed this one guy's boots were black when in fact they were a deep cordovan color. This is how talking to your customer can save you from disaster. We stepped into an area with more light and matched the polish.

In other news I have initiated a bootblack stand build day on May 3. The lack of bootblack stands around me is a real pain in my ass. And back. And neck. etc etc. Also it makes it impossible to see me at an event until you walk right into me. Pictures to come!

Next up: bootblacking at a club this Saturday night. I have also been asked to present a class on bootblacking at the NDDs Boot Camp VII coming up in June. And I'm serving as the bootblack minion at The Floating World.

Hoping to post more frequently!