A display case (also called a showcase, display cabinet, shadow box, or vitrine) is a cabinet with one or often more transparent

tempered glass Tempered or toughened glass is a type of safety glass processed by controlled heat treatment, thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempering puts the outer surfaces into Compression (physics), comp ...

(or

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

, normally acrylic for strength) surfaces, used to display objects for viewing. A display case may appear in an

exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

retail store The retail format (also known as the retail formula) influences the consumer's store choice and addresses the consumer's expectations. At its most basic level, a retail format is a simple marketplace, that is; a location where goods and services ar ...

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

, or

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

. Often, labels are included with the displayed objects, providing information such as descriptions or prices. In a museum, the displayed

cultural artifact A cultural artifact, or cultural artefact (see American and British English spelling differences), is a term used in the social sciences, particularly anthropology, ethnology and sociology for anything created by humans which gives information ...

s are normally part of the museum's collection, or are part of a temporary exhibition. In retail or a restaurant, the items are normally being offered for sale. A trophy case is used to display sports

trophies A trophy is a tangible, decorative item used to remind of a specific achievement, serving as recognition or evidence of merit. Trophies are most commonly awarded for sporting events, ranging from youth sports to professional level athletics. Add ...

or other awards.

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 Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, 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 Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercion). Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be persons and social groups, objects and institutions, ecosystems, or any other entity or ...

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 Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a neoclassical compound derived from Greek language, Greek, consisting of (''nóstos''), a Homeric word me ...

, decay, or loss.

Use in the United States military

By tradition, shadow boxes are typically presented to members of the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

upon

retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

. These shadow boxes will usually contain the various

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

s and

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award may be d ...

s a person has earned through a military career, the

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

s of both their country and their military service branch, and their final badge of

rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...

. 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 The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

soldier who served during the

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cabinets (furniture) Collections care Glass applications Museology Museum design

Description

Use in the United States military

Gallery

See also

References

External links