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Amos Griffiths Simpson, Glove Manufacturer (1878-1953)
Image: Framed Photograph - Mr. Simpson?
Source: Museum Victoria
Amos Simpson was born in Stafford, England in 1878. The son of a shoemaker, he worked in the trade in England and briefly in Massachusetts, USA. He then migrated to Melbourne in July 1914 at the age of 36, arriving on the Demosthenes.
Simpson married Ida May Chapple in Melbourne in 1917; the couple had no children.
After working for a shoe pattern-making firm in Melbourne, he formed a business, Simpson & Sutherland, in 1922 then Simpson's Gloves in 1924, in partnership with Henry James Atkins. Simpson brought his knowledge of the industry and design skills to the partnership; Atkins his financial skills.
Simpson was a red-haired man with something of a temper, at least at work. He hated to spend money on anything that would not increase production and profits. No scrap of leather was wasted, and nothing ever thrown out, either material or equipment. Ernie Jordon, who was taught how to cut coat linings by Simpson when he joined the business in 1927 at the age of 16, recalled that Simpson would often say 'Near enough is not right but right is near enough.'
The company logo for Simpson's Gloves was a Stafford Knot, acknowledging Simpson's home county of Staffordshire in England. Stafford had a long history of shoemaking.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 21 - 30) 399 items
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Book End - Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, Brown & Green Suede, circa 1930s
Brown and green suede book end probably manufactured by Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, circa 1930s. It was found in the small downstairs storeroom at the factory. Simpson's Gloves was form ...
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Book End - Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, Blue & Maroon Suede, circa 1930s
Blue and maroon suede book end probably manufactured by Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, circa 1930s. It was found in the small downstairs storeroom at the factory. Simpson's Gloves was form ...
Images: 1 -
Book End - Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, Blue & Maroon Suede, circa 1930s
Blue and maroon suede book end probably manufactured by Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, circa 1930s. It was found in the small downstairs storeroom at the factory. Simpson's Gloves was form ...
Images: 1 -
Book End - Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, Green Suede, circa 1930s
Green suede book end probably manufactured by Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, circa 1930s. It was found in the small downstairs storeroom at the factory. It may have been made to celebrate ce ...
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Shoe - Brown & White, Unfinished, 1933
Unfinished brown and white left shoe sample made in Stafford, England, 1933. It was used at Simpson's Glove Pty Ltd and was found in a box in the shed above the air raid shelter. Amos S ...
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Shoe - Navy & White, Unfinished, 1933
Unfinished navy and white left shoe sample made in Stafford, England, 1933. It was used at Simpson's Glove Pty Ltd. Amos Simpson had fiends in the boot trade, he attempted to assemble s ...
Images: 1 -
Shoe - Brown, Unfinished, 1933
Unfinished left shoe sample in brown leather made in Stafford, England, 1933. It was used at Simpson's Glove Pty Ltd and was found in a box in the shed above the air raid shelter. Amos ...
Images: 1 -
Shoe - Navy Suede & White Leather, Unfinished, 1933
Unfinished navy suede and white left shoe sample made in Stafford, England, 1933. It was used at Simpson's Glove Pty Ltd and was found in a box in the shed above the air raid shelter. A ...
Images: 1 -
Shoe - Navy & Tan Leather, Unfinished, 1933
Unfinished navy and tan shoe sample made in Stafford, England, 1933. It was used at Simpson's Glove Pty Ltd and was found in a box in the shed above the air raid shelter. Amos Simpson h ...
Images: 1 -
Catalogue - Gazelda Fashion Folio, circa 1930s
Alternative Name(s): Booklet Catalogue for Gazelda Super Suede products, circa 1930s. It was used by Simpson's Gloves Pty Ltd, who were importers of Gazelda products. It was found in s ...
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