Shoe-fitting fluoroscope
Encyclopedia
Shoe-fitting fluoroscopes, also Pedoscopes, were X-ray
fluoroscope machines installed in shoe
stores from the 1920s until about the 1960s in the United States
(by which time they were prohibited), and into the mid-1970s in the United Kingdom
. In the UK, they were known as Pedoscopes, after the company based in St. Albans that manufactured them. Fluoroscopes were also used in shoe stores in continental Europe.
A fluoroscope was a metal construction approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) high in the shape of an upside-down tea cup, with steps for a child to ascend. The child would then place his or her feet in the opening provided and while remaining in a standing position, look through a viewing porthole
at the top of the fluoroscope down at the x-ray view of the feet and shoes. Two other viewing portholes on either side enabled the parent and a sales assistant to observe the child's toes being wiggled to show how much room for the toes there was inside the shoe. The bones of the feet were clearly visible, as was the outline of the shoe, including the stitching around the edges. The exposure time would have been around 15 seconds.
The gimmick
changed from decade to decade to suit the market at the time, but the most famous sales pitches were that the fluoroscope allowed salesmen to better fit shoes and that it made it more fun for kids to go to the shoe store. During the Great Depression
, a popular sales pitch was that the fluoroscope allowed the best possible fit, which made for longer-lasting shoes and implied that customers would not have to buy as many pairs for themselves or for their children. In reality, the shoe-fitting fluoroscope was little more than a way to attract potential customers because essentially the same fit could be obtained by simple measurements.
Exposure from typical machines ranged from 12 to 107 R
per minute (0.1 to 1 Gy
per minute).
At the peak of the device's popularity in the early 1950s, about 10,000 machines were in use. In 1949, the danger of the fluoroscope was revealed and the machines in the United States were quietly phased out during the 1950s.
Patents
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
fluoroscope machines installed in shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
stores from the 1920s until about the 1960s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(by which time they were prohibited), and into the mid-1970s in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In the UK, they were known as Pedoscopes, after the company based in St. Albans that manufactured them. Fluoroscopes were also used in shoe stores in continental Europe.
A fluoroscope was a metal construction approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) high in the shape of an upside-down tea cup, with steps for a child to ascend. The child would then place his or her feet in the opening provided and while remaining in a standing position, look through a viewing porthole
Porthole
A porthole is a generally circular, window used on the hull of ships to admit light and air. Porthole is actually an abbreviated term for "port hole window"...
at the top of the fluoroscope down at the x-ray view of the feet and shoes. Two other viewing portholes on either side enabled the parent and a sales assistant to observe the child's toes being wiggled to show how much room for the toes there was inside the shoe. The bones of the feet were clearly visible, as was the outline of the shoe, including the stitching around the edges. The exposure time would have been around 15 seconds.
The gimmick
Gimmick
In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature...
changed from decade to decade to suit the market at the time, but the most famous sales pitches were that the fluoroscope allowed salesmen to better fit shoes and that it made it more fun for kids to go to the shoe store. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, a popular sales pitch was that the fluoroscope allowed the best possible fit, which made for longer-lasting shoes and implied that customers would not have to buy as many pairs for themselves or for their children. In reality, the shoe-fitting fluoroscope was little more than a way to attract potential customers because essentially the same fit could be obtained by simple measurements.
Exposure from typical machines ranged from 12 to 107 R
Röntgen
The roentgen is a unit of measurement for exposure to ionizing radiation , and is named after the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen...
per minute (0.1 to 1 Gy
Gray (unit)
The gray is the SI unit of absorbed radiation dose of ionizing radiation , and is defined as the absorption of one joule of ionizing radiation by one kilogram of matter ....
per minute).
At the peak of the device's popularity in the early 1950s, about 10,000 machines were in use. In 1949, the danger of the fluoroscope was revealed and the machines in the United States were quietly phased out during the 1950s.
External links
- A Guide for Uniform Industrial Hygiene Codes Or Regulations For The Use Of Fluoroscopic Shoe Fitting Devices. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Patents