Sailors were constantly on the move. They visited many different places, and met varied people. When sailors would visit a new land, they liked to collect souvenirs to remind them of the place and its people. These souvenirs would have to be rather small, for space on a ship would be limited. As you can imagine, somebody who has been a sailor for a long time could accumulate quite a number of mementos. When the sailor was ready to retire, it was considered bad luck for his shadow to touch land before his body did on that last trip off his ship.



In order to save their comrade from "bad luck," the retiree's shipmates would build a box to hold the souvenirs the sailor had collected, as well as any medals, a flag, and trinkets that would remind him of his shipmates. This created a symbolic "shadow" of the man's life and career. Once the sailor was safely ashore, the box would be given to him.

The second explanation of the origin of shadowboxes involves Victorian women. It is said that these women would spend time viewing images from around the world with a Sterio-Optician. This was a small box with a scope used to view pictures in 3D. They then began to make their own boxes with three-dimensional artwork, and later began placing everyday items in them to display and protect.

Today, we use shadowboxes to display those items that have meaning to us. They generally center on a particular theme. Somebody who served in the armed services would use a shadowbox to display the flag, medals he or she has earned, souvenirs from places served and pictures of others in his/her unit. These items commemorate his time in the service, and should be proudly displayed.

Those of us with children know that they grow up much too fast. When they are little, it seems like they will be there always. The reality, though, is that someday they will leave the nest. Having a shadowbox filled with the child's baby shoes or favorite stuffed animal, baseball glove or some sports trophy, report cards or certificates, and, of course, pictures at various ages, is a great way to conjure memories we want to keep alive.

For somebody who is a golfer, a shadowbox filled with score cards, golf balls, and pictures from a favorite golf course would remind those who visit how much you love golf. The same thing could be done with items from any sport. A ticket stub or program from a special ball game, a picture taken with a famous player, a favorite jersey, or even equipment that is not being used anymore can all be incorporated into a memorable display.

An animal lover could display pictures, trophies, an old collar, or play toys that belonged to a former pet. He could also hang the pet's unstuffed bed pillow in the back of the shadowbox as a backdrop.

Model race cars, airplanes, or boats can be placed on shelves in a shadowbox. Other racing memorabilia could be hung or glued in the shadowbox.

There are a thousand and one things that people can place in a shadowbox that would have meaning to them. The idea behind shadowboxes may have come about from superstitious sailors, or maybe from innovative Victorian women. No matter what their origin, today we use shadowboxes to display and protect special memorable things. When planning to display some of your memories, gather what you want to put together and decide what size shadowbox you need.