Evan Lipschitz never intended to amass a collection of close to 200 snow globes. Instead, the pieces of the collection seemed to find him through his interests and ultimately his travels. “I found my first snow globe on a weekend trip to an antiques store,” says the 24-year-old collector, who was only seven or eight at the time. “I remember seeing the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ globe and immediately wanting to have it.” Evan was visiting the antiques store with his sisters, who were in search of unique salt-and-pepper shakers, so it seemed natural that he, too, should begin a hobby. Thus, his collection was born. 

Snow globes, or water domes as they are sometimes called, are believed to have originated in France in the late 1800s. The concept is said to have derived from clear glass paperweights, which were highly popular at the time. In 1889, the debut of a globe featuring the Eiffel Tower was revealed at the International Exposition or World’s Fair in Paris. This debut helped to not only increase the globes’ exposure, but also its popularity. Soon after, the small curiosities became a staple in American gift shops, and in the 1950s, the introduction of plastic allowed for mass production, making snow globes the souvenir of choice for children and adults alike. 

After Evan’s initial purchase at the antiques store, a family friend heard about the new hobby and decided to help. She began to add to his collection by surprising him with a new globe each Christmas. Knowing that the family friend also admired snow globes, Evan began to return the favor by purchasing ones for her as well, beginning a gift exchange of holiday globes that would last for years to come. Evan received many of his holiday-themed and some of the travel-themed globes as a part of this gift exchange.

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