Troy, Seymour
Biography
Seymour Troy, born in the textile city of Lodz, Poland, migrated to the United States as a child in 1910. He financed his way through school by selling shoes, and by 1923 he had saved enough money to open his own small factory. For his first firm, Troy chose the name "yrto" (an anagram of his name) in order to give the brand a European sound. Eventually, Troy produced custom shoes under the name Seymour Troy Originals, as well as a ready-made collection under the name Troylings.
In 1960, the National Shoe Retail Association gave Seymour Troy the first annual “Mercury” award to honor him for 35 plus years in the business and numerous valuable contributions to the footwear field. His contributions throughout the years include the asymmetrical strap silhouette; the open sandal; the rolled top opera pump; the baby doll toe; the platform sole; the use of elasticized leathers and vinyl and Lucite in shoes; and the “Valkyrie” – a series of shoes with high-rising instep cover that outdid the classic opera pump in popularity in the 1930s.
Troy passed away in 1975.
Found in 44 Collections and/or Records:
Loose sketches, undated
Sketches on all different sizes of paper, all undated except one dated 1939. A few sketches include embellishments.
Loose sketches, undated
Sketches on all different sizes of paper, all undated except one dated 1941. One sketch includes embellishment.
Loose sketches, undated
Sketches on all different sizes of paper, all undated except one dated 1977. One sketch includes embellishments. This folder includes sketches originally documented as "Designs by Emery Blau, Al Lewis, 'Cohen'(?) for Seymour Troy."
Loose sketches, undated
Sketches on all different sizes of paper, all undated except one dated 1937 and two dated 1939. Original documentation of this foleder notes "Many of these sketches are by other designers."
M. Pasternak scrapbook, 1945-1946, 1945-1946
Scrapbook containing clippings of advertisements for Seymour Troy shoes available at m. pasternak in Washington, D.C. All or most of the ads come from the Washington Post or Times Herald. Also includes what appear to be proofs for advertisements.
Metal stamps and cutters, undated
Seven metal stamps, including stamps for Seymour Troy Originals, a U.S. patent stamp, two for O'Connor & Goldberg department store, and one that says Flying Carpet. There are also two metal cutting tools that archivist assumes were used for cutting leather heel patches.
Metal stamps and cutters, undated
Seven metal stamps, including stamps for Seymour Troy Originals, a U.S. patent stamp, two for O'Connor & Goldberg department store, and one that says Flying Carpet. There are also two metal cutting tools that archivist assumes were used for cutting leather heel patches.
Miscellaneous, undated
This series contains items that did not fit in to any other series in the collection.
Miscellaneous, undated
This folder contains a paper placemat, dress sketches, what appears to be a mockup for a print ad, an internal order form, and two 2-D models of shoes made of suede and leather, one undated and one dated 1964.
Pattern cutouts, undated
Shoe patterns made of various materials.