Leather boot, gunpowder van uniform

Gunpowder van boot, 13 1/2'' long, leather boot with wooden sole, worn over shoes to avoid making sparks when working in gunpowder vans.

These over-boots are no ordinary piece of uniform. Their wooden soles served a critical safety function. Worn by workers handling gunpowder vans, the wooden soles helped reduce the risk of generating sparks, a serious hazard when dealing with such highly flammable material.

Gunpowder was transported on the railways for many different reasons. While essential to military operations, it was equally vital in mining and quarrying industries. As gunpowder vans were phased out, so too were these early examples of personal protective equipment.