Mary Jane was a character from Buster Brown, a comic strip character created in 1902 by newspaper cartoonist Richard F. Outcault for the New York Herald. Buster Brown is a wealthy schoolboy prankster who dresses conservatively but acts like a mischievous, disorderly child. He has a sister, Mary Jane, and a grinning talking pet bulldog, Tige (one of the first talking animals in newspaper cartoons). At the end of almost every Sunday cartoon strip, Buster Brown promises to behave better in the future, but he never does.
The comic strips were published until the 1920s. An American manufacturer of children’s shoes licensed the Buster Brown and Mary Jane names for a popular line of children’s footwear and Mary Janes have come to refer to girls’ strapped shoe with a low heel. [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/81484/Buster-Brown]
Although Mary Janes are synonymous with shoes for girls, men have actually worn these designs throughout history - take for example Henry Vlll (see image below) and some French kings: Francis l of France and Charles lX of France [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jane_(shoe)].
So, grab a slice of history and crochet yourself a pair of pretty Mary Janes and walk like a princess!
The comic strips were published until the 1920s. An American manufacturer of children’s shoes licensed the Buster Brown and Mary Jane names for a popular line of children’s footwear and Mary Janes have come to refer to girls’ strapped shoe with a low heel. [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/81484/Buster-Brown]
Although Mary Janes are synonymous with shoes for girls, men have actually worn these designs throughout history - take for example Henry Vlll (see image below) and some French kings: Francis l of France and Charles lX of France [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Jane_(shoe)].
So, grab a slice of history and crochet yourself a pair of pretty Mary Janes and walk like a princess!
| mary_janes.pdf |
