Bata Shoe Museum At 20

 Last weekend, we had such a lovely, warm and sunny weather here in Toronto which perfectly coincided with the Bata Shoe Museum 20 years Anniversary. What a celebration they had with a street party right in front of the Museum at St George and Bloor Street and an open house celebration inside the Museum. It was my first time to visit the Museum which is quite a shame because when I was a student at the University of Toronto, I used to walk this route every day passing through the Museum which is also located in the University of Toronto campus. 

This is the only museum in the World dedicated to shoes. The museum was founded by Mrs. Sonja Bata, wife of Thomas Bata who was one of the scion of the Bata Shoe Company that started in Czechoslovakia but the family moved to Toronto, Canada during WWII. Mrs. Bata has devoted most of her life to shoes so it was just right that she opened the first shoe museum in the World. Luckily she opened it here in Toronto, which was formerly a gas station that she transformed to a world class museum. Local folks and Government officials from the Lt Governor to the Mayor of Toronto came to celebrate. At the end of the speeches from Mrs Bata and government dignitaries, we celebrated with their 20th Birthday cupcakes! May you have many more birthdays Bata Shoe Museum!

 

 

My own shoe selfie. There were spots like this in the Museum for your own shoe selfie.  

Shoes from Barbra Streisand, Marilyn Monroe, the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill and the tennis stars, Bjorn Borg and Roger Federer.

Marilyn Monroe was in the house/Museum.

This was the red sequined shoes worn by Mrs Sonja Bata 20 years ago on the opening day of the Museum. It was similar to  Dorothy's ruby shoes in the Wizard of Oz.  Just like Dorothy, opening the Museum 20 years ago was a dream come true for Mrs. Bata. 

 

 Mrs Bata (in white T-shirt) with the Lt Governor General and Mayor of Toronto. 

 

Happy 20th Birthday cupcakes to celebrate the Bata Shoe Museum.