- Archival Solution of the Week | Short Top Box

Archival Solution of the Week: Short Top Box

Often called an “Archival Shoe Box,” our Short Top Box is a general-purpose container that is perfectly suited for safely storing and protecting small flat items such as postcards (see pix above), antique photographic images (tintypes / cartes-de-visite / cabinet cards / stereographs), negatives, sports cards, and even recipes! (Please see our fully illustrated blog on Preserving Old Recipes / Treasuries of Family Traditions.)

Our Short Top Box is also perfect for storing all sorts of 3-dimensional objects and artifacts in your collection such as family heirlooms, glassware, antique toys, holiday ornaments, sports collectibles, scientific specimens, or any other objects that are better suited to boxes with a bit more depth or volume (rather than flat boxes).

As always, it is recommended that any 3-dimensional items you are preserving in archival storage boxes also be placed in appropriately sized protective enclosures such as an archival polyethylene bag; wrapped in sheets of archival tissue or paper (see pix above); or protected with shredded archival tissue.
Archival Methods’ Short Top Box has a removable, close-fitting top to seal out dust, pollutants and insects.
As with many of our metal edge boxes, our Short Top Box has an embossed labeling area for a standard pressure-sensitive (PSA) identification label or an adhesive-backed label holder.
Our Short Top Box is made in Archival Methods’ own on-premises manufacturing facility (right here in the USA!), and is available in both Tan and Black in the following sizes:
Short Top Box: Tan
• 10½ x 6½ x 4½” high (perfect for 4 x 6″ postcards & smaller antique photograph formats)
• 10½ x 8-1/8 x 5-1/8″ high (perfect for larger cards and stereographs)
• 12½ x 15 x 4-1/4″ high (great for all kinds of artifacts)
Short Top Box: Black
• 5½ x 11-3/4 x 6″ high (often used for CD / DVD storage, as well as many other applications)
• 10-1/4 x 12-1/8 x 5-5/8″ high (great for all kinds of artifacts)

Each Short Top Box is manufactured from .04 or .06 tan (smooth finish) or black (lightly-textured finish) acid- and lignin-free ArchivalGrade™ boxboard (please click here to see our fully illustrated blog that explains everything you need to know about “acid-free” materials).
The metal edge clamps are anti-corrosion treated with a black polyester coating with a wax-free polyester finish on the blind side. These tough, workhorse clamps provide both rigidity and high stacking strength, so you can rest assured that your valuable collectibles and family artifacts are ALWAYS safe and secure!
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