Photo Corners headlinesarchivemikepasini.com
A S C R A P B O O K O F S O L U T I O N S F O R T H E P H O T O G R A P H E R
Enhancing the enjoyment of taking pictures with news that matters, features that entertain and images that delight. Published frequently.
Friday Slide Show: Bronzed Shoes
17 October 2025
It's been obvious to us for a long time now that the closest we'll ever get to being memorialized in bronze is our first pair of baby shoes, which our parents bronzed.
So two people thought we were worthy of a statue. Unfortunately, they're no longer in a position to argue in our favor.
But we have managed to hang onto our baby shoes. We salvaged them from the house cleaning when we cleared out Mom's house after her death. And ever since they have been gathering dust here on a shelf.
Once in a while we look at them and smile. It's been a lot of steps since they were retired, although we started counting only recently in an effort to maintain our statuesque figure.
We aren't the only kid whose shoes were bronzed. It became a popular thing to do in 1930s, we've been told, and still persisted when we came along.
The process involved a layer of copper electroplated onto each shoe to make the bronzed surface. To electroplate a non-conductive item like a leather baby shoe, they first had to apply something conductive before the copper plating would stick.
We won't be shining these shoes, though. They're only worth about $35 to $45 dollars, we've read. We'd be mortified to see them on Antiques Roadshow.
We're still kicking, after all.
