March 18, 2024 – July 19, 2024
Briscoe Center for American History, Austin, Texas
Hall Gallery, Sid Richardson Hall Unit 2
The Briscoe Center is proud to present “Threads of Tradition: The John Tongate Cowboy Boot Collection.” This exhibition of exceptional Western wear highlights the art of boot making, with selections pulled from the center’s John Tongate Boot Collection. The collection, which features seventy-two pairs of boots that were compiled over forty years of commissions, is a stunning showcase of Texan art and history.
John Tongate became entranced with the spirit of the “old West” in the 1940s. He eventually found his way to Texas in the ’80s as a librarian at The University of Texas at Austin. He created collaborative bonds with bootmakers in central Texas, sharing a love of vintage designs.
“In my youth, I was interested in cowboy boots; the history, design, and skills required to create them,” says Tongate. “I valued participation in that process, admiring the unique workmanship of each bootmaker. It was an honor to support the craft and satisfying to own and wear the boots.”
Boot making is a deep, meticulous effort that can take months or even years. Alongside the boots, Tongate collected valuable ephemera on the art of the cowboy boot, including correspondence, photographs, samples, and source material. Tongate’s documents illustrate the process from sketching to the final stitches.
“Now that the boots are preserved in the Briscoe Center, there is access to examples from the last quarter of the 20th into the early 21st century, a time capsule,” Tongate adds. “It was a priority for me to have the boots and files safeguarded for future research and enjoyment.”
