Mobile Display Cases

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Another Way to Get Your Museum's Stories Out There

Museums have unique needs in display cases - security, affordability, and quality. Unlike kitchen cabinets, museum cases should draw attention to what's in them rather than to the cases themselves. We've designed a mobile display case for museums. The case has the quality to be a regular display in the museum but can be easily packed up for travel to school, corporate, or other events.

Our basic case was designed for the Vintage Aero Flying Museum, as seen in the scale mockup at right. Director Andy Parks tells stories of real WWI pilots, and needs to transport and display, but also protect, his artifacts when he speaks. He's found that presentations at a school save the school most of what it would pay to transport students to the museum. In many cases the only way the students will hear the history is for him to come to them, and when he does he wants to make it memorable. Our cases are designed for the needs and standards of this museum that does woodwork on replica flying aircraft.

Display case features

We have designed several variations. The basic display case is a tall case suitable for a mannequin or any other vertical display.

Holds a mannequin or similarly vertical display
Doors close for protection during travel, open for display
Can be rolled into a room by one or two people
At 24 inches wide, fits even narrow doors in historical buildings
Space for about 30 square feet of graphics/information on inside of doors and backing of case
Graphics designed by Ewan Tallentire to attract attention to the story of the artifacts
Graphics can be adapted for designs on t-shirts to sell at events (discount available for ordering t-shirts along with the case)
Built of paint-ready wood; outside of case can be painted or wrapped to promote museum during travel
Glass windows for stability and security
LED lighting to light artifacts without UV spectrum

Design variations

Some of these are fully planned out; others are still in the concept stage. let us know your needs.

Full height, half glassed, half drawers
Half height with drawers and glassed top display area
Full height with fold-out tables
Portable gift shop: full height with fold-out tables and drawers

Possible material variations

Custom wood (for instance, cedar to repel insects)
Plexiglass instead of glass
Variations on wheels (bigger for easier travel, smaller for lower profile)
Custom trim or finish to match other displays

Our plan is to provide the basic case for the basic price. You can then select variations important to your needs, so you only pay for the features important to you. Contact History on a Shirt artwork@historyonashirt.com or call at (303) 795-5369 for more information.

How to raise money for cases

Many museums think automatically of grants, but grants cost time (the process can be lengthy) and money (you'll probably pay someone to write the grant proposal) and the chances of winning the grant may make the lottery look promising! Here are some alternative ideas:

Crowdfunding. If you can explain to a grant committee why you need the money, you can probably make the same case even more easily to museum members and other supporters, who already love the museum, and maybe you'll end up with more money faster.

T-shirt investing. If you have $500 and need $5000, what about ordering t-shirts from History on a Shirt: 50 t-shirts for $500, which you can sell for $1000. With $1000 you can buy 100 t-shirts and sell them for $2000. If you reinvest the money for a couple more cycles, you could end up with $8000. The time it takes to raise the money is determined by how quickly you can sell t-shirts, and a fresh new design from History on a Shirt is a good way to move inventory.

Combined campaign. If you need a portable display case to take your Battle of Whatsit display on the road, then get t-shirts with a design that raises awareness of what was so fascinating about Whatsit, while raising funds for the case. You could sell the t-shirt to your supporters, or you could have it as a reward for those who donate at a certain level. If the t-shirt graphics are used for the case, you'll get a major discount on the case.