The September piece was presented by art historian Bernat Mateu and restorer Marta Murgades on Saturday 5 September.
It consists of a polish box and its tools (paint cans, brushes, bitumen, patches and protectors), as well as some curiosities (press clippings and an identification card). All this material belongs to the middle of the 20th century and has recently been restored by Marta Murgades.
The job of a shoemaker is a job that is often overlooked when it comes to trades related to the footwear industry, as their work, despite being essential, was not very visible (probably due to the fact that it took place outside the workshops and factories). His job was basically to clean and shine his shoes. These types of workers were itinerant (always accompanied by their box), and although they moved from side to side, they used to concentrate in the cities and places where there was the most traffic. The illustrators were usually men, many of them teenagers, who combined this task with their studies. There were no set rates for their work, but it is found that they were paid relatively little
The profession of illustrator developed as a profession during the 19th century and was very common until the end of the 20th century. This gradual disappearance of the trade is explained by several factors such as the fact that shoes of lower cost and shorter duration have become popular – and that they therefore need less maintenance; the emergence of personal shoe maintenance products; the reduction of walking distances, so that the wear of the shoes is less; and the changing social habits of people that involve greater speed in their routines that involve, among other things, walking faster through the streets. All these causes make it almost impossible to find a shiner on our streets today.
As for the box, the iconic element that made them recognizable on the street, is made of wood and has two internal compartments to store utensils (dyes, brushes, pieces, etc.). They are accessed through two side doors that rise. Its most outstanding element, however, is the protruding piece (also made of wood) that serves as both a handle for transport and a support for the client’s feet while the shoes are polished.

Information extracted from the research of Bernat Mateu Morro.