Bronzed Shoes, A Family Collectible Rediscovered

Bronzed baby shoes became popular keepsakes in 1934, when the first were made in Columbus, Ohio. 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. She found a metal plater who could make the shoes then sold the product door to door by going to homes that had toys and swings in the yard, suggesting a young family. She also found retail stores that would take orders for the bronzed shoes. Her husband joined the business and they began to bronze the shoes themselves. Bron-Shoe Company was founded in 1934, incorporated in 1949 and started direct marketing with the American Bronzing Company Division in 1952.