Display case

Description

A display case may be freestanding on the floor, or built-in (usually a custom installation). Built-in displays may be mounted on the wall, may act as room partitions, or may be hung from the ceiling. On occasion, display cases are built into the floor, such as at the Museum of Sydney (in Sydney, Australia), where the remains of drains and privies are shown in their original context, along with other archeological artifacts.

There are three types of freestanding showcases: counter, middle floor (mid-floor), and wall. Counter showcases are designed to display objects through one side (the "customer side") and have them accessible through the other (the "clerk side"). For this reason, the counter displays are most relevant for retail stores. The middle floor cases are built to display objects from all sides, and are meant to be placed in the middle of the room. Wall showcases are meant to be placed against a wall, where the products are displayed and accessed from the same side. These last two types are used heavily – not only by stores – but also by museums, schools, and especially in homes to showcase valuable items or collections.

Display cases are typically made by specialist companies with a background in woodworking or welding, and come in standard sizes or often are custom order. Display cases are often designed with security in mind and are normally lockable. They also are made in variety of styles, shapes, and materials as available at a store fixture supplier. Conservation grade cases are used to display valuable artifacts in museums, libraries, and archives. These cases are designed to provide a tightly controlled environment free from chemical pollutants.

They can ship pre-assembled or knockdown (in pieces to be assembled by the customer). Pre-assembled showcases are assembled (and usually tested) by the manufacturer, and are shipped ready-to-use. Knockdown showcases are usually lower in price and cheaper to ship, but may be of poorer quality than pre-assembled, and may arrive missing pieces.

American artist Joseph Cornell constructed many shadow boxes during his career, with the works evoking a strong sense of nostalgia, decay, or loss.

Use in the United States military

By tradition, shadow boxes are typically presented to members of the United States Armed Forces upon retirement. These shadow boxes will usually contain the various medals and awards a person has earned through a military career, the flags of both their country and their military service branch, and their final badge of rank. A similar case, called a uniform display case, displays an entire military uniform with correct insignia placement.

Gallery

File:US Navy 050507-N-5595G-001 A mother and daughter look at Roman Era findings that are visible through the floor in the new Navy Exchange (NEX), which recently opened at the Gricignano Support Site.jpg|Glass in-floor display case File:Vidrieras del col. de macaracas.JPG|Wall-mounted trophy case File:SABMiller beers.JPG|Wall-sized display case File:Altena - Burg in 09 ies.jpg|Free-standing museum display cases File:Bibracte Musee Salle des maquettes.jpg|Table-height display of models File:Branderszaal-4.jpg|Antique Dutch display case File:PackardInABox26Side.jpg|Antique auto protected by display case File:RedDotDesignMuseum 3393b.jpg|Tent-shaped displays in design museum File:Rotunda in the Palace on the Water 02.jpg|Ceiling-suspended display File:SweetsLaBoulangerieMagazineSt20June08.jpg|Counter display of baked goods File:TalaveraDisplayFranzMayer.jpg|Through-wall transparent display File:Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.jpg|Rare-book library on display File:Shadowbox (sterile).JPG|A shadow box for a United States Army soldier who served during the Iraq War

References

References

1. "Museum of Sydney Guidebook". Historic Houses Trust of NSW.
2. "Display cases". The Shop Company.
3. "Museums Galleries Scotland – How to choose your new display cases". Museum Galleries Scotland.
4. (2000). "A set of conservation guidelines for exhibitions.". Objects Specialty Group Postprints, American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works.
5. Solomon, Deborah. (1997). "Utopia Parkway: The Life and Work of Joseph Cornell". Farrar, Straus & Giroux.