History of the Snow Globe

Have you ever wondered about snow globe history? Snow globes are beautiful gifts as mementos for vacations, for memorable dates, and to celebrate holidays. They’ve remained popular for over a hundred years now. Read on to learn more about the glittering snow globes that have graced shelves for over a century!

How the Snow Globe Was Made

The first snow globe was likely made sometime in the late 19th century. During that time, historians have found examples of items similar to snow globes. However, the man credited with inventing today’s snow globe is Erwin Perzy.

Erwin Perzy was an inventor who accidentally created the snow globe in 1900. In an attempt to magnify a light bulb and make it brighter, the snow globe was created! Erwin had placed a globe filled with water in front of a light bulb. In it, he put tiny bits of floating material, which created the snow globe idea.

Erwin Perzy went on to perfect his design. For many years, snow globes were completely handmade. For a while, snow globes were almost completely exclusive to Erwin’s home country, Austria. Soon, they spread all over the world.

Modernizing the Snow Globe

After Erwin Perzy’s invention, the first World War happened. Following the war, American citizens began to visit Austria, where they took home snow globes as a souvenir. American inventors soon caught on to the idea and began to make their own creations.

At the time, snow globes were considered upper-middle class. For decades, all the way until the 1950s, snow globes were made of glass and porcelain and were fairly expensive. You could find snow globe gifts, souvenirs, and paper weights, but they weren’t cheap.

After World War 2, snow globes evolved to be made of cheaper material. Instead of glass, plexiglass was used and the floating material inside was different. This made snow globes more accessible and they became available for more people. Since then, snow globes have been sold all over the world!

Famous Snow Globes

Since snow globes are so popular, it’s no wonder that there are many famous examples. Some of these include:

●Kitty Foyle. One of the first examples of snow globes in the media, the movie Kitty Foyle from 1940 used snow globes to show flashbacks. After the movie premiered, snow globes became even more popular!

●Walt Disney’s Bambi. Walt Disney began to create their own snow globes in the late 1950s. The Bambi snow globe is one of the first Disney creations, and was very popular among fans.

●Louis Vuitton. Luxury brand Louis Vuitton quickly jumped on the snow globe train once they gained popularity. The brand sold thousand-dollar snow globes soon after Walt Disney’s own creations.

Buy Your Own Today!

Snow globes make for fantastic gifts for any occasion. The history of snow globes is fascinating, and each snow globe you give comes with a little bit of that history. Visit Music Box Attic and choose your own snow globe today from a wide range of selections!