Bronze Baby Shoes History

How to transform your baby s first pair of walkers into a permanent keepsake.

Bronze baby shoes history.

The process was messy involving plaster and an electroplating finish to allow the bronzing to adhere to the shoes. Bronze baby shoes first became popular in the early 20th century and have gone in and out of style since. Bronzing is the act of applying metal coating to objects in order to render them permanent and there are many companies that offer this application so parents can keep baby shoes forever and or use them as decoration. Bronze baby shoes are a way of preserving the scuffed little shoes of those precious first steps.

Since 1934 the family owned business has bronzed more than 14 million baby shoes. Bronzed shoes a family collectible rediscovered may 13 2015 bronzed baby shoes became popular keepsakes in 1934 when the first were made in columbus ohio. Originally bronzing was done on statues picture frames dishes and other household items. Bronze baby shoes and personal items have been a tradition for centuries but first got started in the united states in the early 1900s.

Pair of baby shoes in bronze 79 pewter 149 silver 149 porcelain 149. Though popular in previous generations bronzing shoes fell out of fashion for a while. In 1934 shinbach and her husband sam founded the bron shoe co and in 1952 they created a new division the american bronzing co. Pair of baby shoes on walnut base bronze 119 pewter 189 silver 189 porcelain 189.

And it was not exactly inexpensive. Pair of baby shoes on walnut bookends bronze 129 pewter 199 silver 199 porcelain 199. It is said that the electroplating of baby shoes was conceived when a scotchman saw a suit of armor during a visit to his ancestral home. A young mother violet shinbach saw a pair of bronzed baby shoes in a department store and thought it could be the start of a business.

Single baby shoe in bronze 49 pewter 119 silver 119 porcelain 119.